Preconceptions
by 1st endeavor
Summary: This story is an additional scene to Episode 521, DISTURBED
1. Chapter 1

_**Preconceptions**_

_By 1__st__ Endeavor_

Disclaimer: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended. However, my original characters and story line are mine.

A/N: This is an additional scene to Episode 521, "Disturbed." Robert Posner was so careful to hide all traces of his crimes and cover his trail by eliminating anyone that came close to catching him that I believe that he would have discovered that Charlie was working with Gene Evans and would have realized that he was an even bigger threat to him.

_Preconception– an opinion or idea formed beforehand  
_

Chapter 1:

"It took you guys a long, long time to find me….didn't it?"

Robert Posner leaned forward letting a smile play across his face; his blue eyes glowing brightly as he proudly explained his methods to the agents. He showed no remorse for his actions; none whatsoever; instead he behaved as if he deserved to win some sort of medal for his cleverness. After all, he had eluded the authorities for eighteen years, committing murders by using different methods and deliberately selecting victims from varied backgrounds, thereby leaving no workable pattern for the police to follow his trail.

The arrogant look on his face was suddenly replaced with one of excitement; shifting around in his chair he began to peer through the glass windows of the interrogation room as if he was searching for someone.

"It was him….wasn't it?" Robert whispered in awe; his head swiveling around to face the darkened observation window. "It wasn't the FBI that figured it out…..it was him!" He glanced sideways at the agent and added breathlessly. "I know he's there…watching me now…..isn't he?"

David's eyes flickered briefly toward the window but he ignored the serial killer's question. Actually, there were a lot of people standing behind that one-way glass and he didn't have a clue which one that Posner was referring too. Okay that wasn't exactly true; the man responsible for tracking him down was standing behind that window but there was no way that Posner would know who he was. The agent's boss was there too and the thought of Don reminded him that he needed to get on with the interrogation. The truth was he had other reasons for getting the interview over with; the man made his skin crawl and the sooner that he was finished, the sooner he could get the serial killer in a cell and locked away. Just being in the same room with him made the agent feel dirty and defiled, as if some of the evil within Posner had oozed out of the man's body and had crawled across the table to infect him. He wanted nothing more than to go home and take a long hot shower to try and scrub the evil away; a sideways glance at Nikki told him that she was feeling the same way.

"How did you choose your victims?" The agent asked, attempting to get Posner back on track.

But Robert couldn't be swayed and he continued to stare hungrily toward the darkened glass.

"Hey!" Nikki impatiently prompted him. "Answer the question."

Posner turned and met her eyes with an unyielding stare and calmly refused. "Not until you answer mine."

"He?" David asked, deciding that he might get more cooperation from the man if he played along. "Just who are you referring too?"

"Yeah." Nikki snorted with a toss of her head. "Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Why…. the Professor of course." Robert said smoothly as he twisted his body around so that he could once again stare at the window that separated them from the observers that were hidden behind the glass.

David shared a surprised look with Nikki before turning back to Posner.

"The Professor?" he asked, pretending that he was unaware of the person that the serial killer was referring to. "What Professor?"

Posner shifted in his chair and turned to face the agent, clearly amused with Sinclair's attempt at deception.

"It won't work you know. I have a..." he paused momentarily, searching for the right words to use. "…an inner sense about these things. That's why I'm so good at what I do." He leaned forward and met David's eye. "Why play this game? We both know that Professor Eppes is standing behind that window."

Nikki shifted uncomfortably at the mention of her friend's name. "How do you know Professor Eppes?"

Posner graced her with a withering look; one that clearly said that she was stupid for even asking such a question. "I didn't avoid you people for so long by leaving loose ends behind me. I always covered my tracks and that included following the police investigations and of course, eliminating anyone that came close to discovering me." He paused, glancing from agent to agent. "I first saw Professor Eppes when the postman's body was discovered." He clasped his hands together on the table and looked pointedly at Nikki. "You were there too."

"You were watching us?" She asked, suppressing a chill. "You were there the whole time?"

"Most of the time…yes…but I wore a disguise." He pressed his lips together and his double chin quivered slightly as if he was trying to hold back laughter. "I always go back to the scene; every artist likes to see his work appreciated." The smile never left Posner's face as he spoke and the lack of emotion in his words made them even more chilling to the ear.

"Murder is murder." David growled menacingly. "There's nothing artistic about it."

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion Agent Sinclair." Posner replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Anyway when the professor showed up at Gene Evans house I suspected that he was going to be a problem…and I was right too……wasn't I? " He leaned back in his chair and smiled knowingly at the agents. "I'm not stupid you know. It didn't take me long to figure out that the professor must have sent you to the Peterson house….and just in time to save them too."

"Maybe we discovered that on our own." Nikki snapped angrily.

"I suppose it's possible but it seems unlikely to me since I didn't leave you any evidence to track me with." He shook his head. "No, somehow Dr. Eppes found a pattern in something that I was doing and came up with a possible target. I thought with Evans out of the way I could go about my business but the professor figured it out… ….didn't he?" Posner chuckled when the agents didn't answer him and took their silence as an affirmation.

"You almost caught me at the Peterson's but I got away and that's when I decided that I couldn't wait any longer… the Professor would have to be the next one on my list." Suddenly his face took on a wistful expression. "Oh…but what a challenge he presented me with."

"What were you planning to do?" David asked, rubbing his hand over his mouth as he studied the man sitting across from him; wanting desperately to wipe that smile from the killer's face.

"What do you think?" Posner asked sarcastically. "I knew I would have to get rid of him, especially after I found out his identity but that created a problem that I have never encountered before."

Nikki struggled to keep her emotions in check as she listened to Posner answer David's question. It wasn't easy, the casual way Posner spoke of killing Charlie was chilling and the desire to leave the room was almost over-whelming, but she kept her voice steady as she tossed out her own question. "What problem was that?"

The killer shrugged nonchalantly and dropped his gaze to his hands before answering.

"Dr Eppes is a very high profile target, unlike my previous victims, who were virtually unknowns. Of course that was one of the reasons that I chose them in the first place." He was quick to add as he glanced sideways at the observation window.

"You were saying?" Nikki prompted tersely; her quick-temper threatening to get the better of her.

"The logical solution would have been to arrange an accident….but then I developed a strong desire to see the professors face when I killed him." Posner's blue eyes drifted upward to meet hers burning with such intensity that she flinched and stepped backwards. "Can you imagine the thrill of watching the light go out of those intelligent eyes? Why the very idea takes my breath away and I realized that I'd have to come up with a way to do it."

Although the words were spoken softly the impact on the agents was significant. Nikki stood with clenched fists behind David fighting the urge to pull her gun from her holster and kill the evil sociopath sitting across from her. David wasn't faring much better; he took a slow, deep breath to control the rage that he was feeling before gritting his teeth and continuing on with the interrogation.

"And uh….exactly how were you planning to kill Professor Eppes?" David asked his voice tight from the strain of reigning in his emotions.

"It took me a while to decide." Posner answered, leaning forward once again. "This one was special…you understand…his death had to be perfect." He straightened up suddenly, a look of confusion crossing his features. " But I'm surprised that you don't already know this."

"How would we know?" Nikki spat out impatiently.

"I'm sure your people brought in my laptop; all of the scenarios I came up with are on my computer." He glanced from agent to agent and snickered. "You haven't been able to break through my encryptions yet, have you? All of my surveillance files and target scenarios are there."

Both David and Nikki remained silent as a familiar voice suddenly erupted in their ear radios; a voice coming from behind the darkened glass ordering someone to bring the killer's laptop to the observation room.

Ignoring their silence, Posner sighed heavily and glanced back at the window. "I knew I should have taken him out before Evans and his wife but the prospect of ending his life was just so exciting that I wanted to take my time in planning it." He leaned forward grinning conspiratorially. "To tell you the truth, I still get tingly all over just thinking about it; killing him would have been my tour de force...I mean how would you top that?"

Posner's eyes took on a glazed appearance and a rapturous look crossed his face. "Can you imagine that feeling…..knowing that you were the one responsible for the death of the next "Einstein?"

David felt a chill run up his spine; for the first time since the man had been talking he was actually showing an emotion but not one of regret, one of elation sparked by the idea of taking the life of Charlie Eppes, a close friend and colleague.

"We would have stopped you." Nikki retorted her chin rising up defiantly and although her voice was strong and steady her eyes betrayed her; the killer's words had definitely struck an emotional cord.

Posner shrugged, his blue eyes returning to their normal state and shifted his position again. He graced her with a condescending smile, casually crossing his legs before addressing her comment. "I seriously doubt that Agent Bentancourt. I'm much too careful, that's why you've never been able to catch me."

"How about we get back to the basics?" David asked in an attempt to change the subject. "You were going to tell us about your methods."

Posner stared at the agent; weighing and measuring Sinclair before answering. "I have one condition. Meet it and I will tell you everything you want to know…I'll even give you my password so that you can gain access to my computer."

David scratched his goatee thoughtfully as he studied the man across from him. "What kind of condition?"

"I want to meet the Professor….face to face." Posner whispered eagerly, eyes lighting up with anticipation.

Before David even had a chance to answer an emphatic "Hell no!" erupted through his ear mike. He winced at the vehement tone of Don's voice and tightened his jaw as he met the man's gaze.

"That's not going to happen. Dr. Eppes is a consultant, not an agent."

Posner's smile faded as once again he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Then I believe we're finished here. I've changed my mind….I want to see a lawyer."

"You waved your right to a lawyer." Nikki challenged, picking up a sheet of paper and waving it at him. "Remember?"

"I have a right to change my mind." Posner retorted.

David angrily pushed his chair back from the table and stood up, eager to leave the room; he was dangerously close to losing his temper and knew he had to get out of there before he said the wrong thing. The agent pulled a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket and quickly cuffed the killer's hands to the table.

"Have it your way Posner." He muttered gruffly and turned away following Nikki to the door. Pausing with his hand against the open door the agent glanced back at the prisoner. "I'll send someone in with a phone."

"Grant my request and that won't be necessary." Posner arrogantly replied.

David ignored the comment and let the door slam shut behind him; ordering another agent to stand guard as he hurried to the observation room to join the rest of the team.

Posner's head swiveled around; cold blue eyes focusing on the one window that he couldn't see through.

_  
TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Preconceptions  
**_

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you for your reviews and alerts. I truly appreciate them.

(Since this chapter is taking place at the same time as Chapter 1, Posner's words will appear in bold italics.) Spoilers: "Disturbed" & "In Plain Sight"

Chapter 2: The Other Side of the Glass

"_**It took you guys a long, long time to find me…..didn't it**__?" _

The tension in the observation room was palpable; its occupants seemingly frozen in place. Identical looks of horror and disbelief was etched into each one of the faces that were hidden behind that dark glass. Many of the agents had thought that they had already seen the worst of humanity but Posner was proving them wrong.

Seasoned agents all….and yet the man in the other room had found a way to penetrate their armor.

The small group listened in silent horror as the killer calmly spoke of his abilities to elude capture and of how he had purposely led a life of normalcy to avoid becoming a suspect in any of the murders that he had committed.

Don decided that it was his affable manner and next-door-neighbor looks that made him even more terrifying. His victims never stood a chance, never would have seen him as a threat; Posner would easily fit into any community, even the man's wife had been shocked to learn of her husband's true nature. A cold chill crept up his spine; was that his reason for killing…just to prove that he could do it without getting caught? Wasn't that what the man had just said…that keeping it from everyone had been his favorite part? Of course some of those people murdered had been killed to keep his secret but Don suspected that Posner had taken as much pleasure out of those murders as he had with his original targets.

It wasn't just the sociopath's lack of emotion as he spoke of the murders that the agent found unnerving but there was also the evidence that had been discovered at Posner's home. The killer had collected souvenirs of his victims; a pair of lime green high-heeled sandals, a bracelet bearing the name of his first victim and the most heart-wrenching of them all, the bottom half of a baby's footed sleeper dotted with its own blood; the once red stain now brown with age. Remnants of lives cut short by the monster in the next room, killed for no other reason than to prove that he could do it without getting caught.

Don glanced at his brother and had to fight down an overwhelming urge to send him away, to shield him from the abomination in the next room. Reason won out in the end; Charlie had more than earned his right to be here and there wasn't an agent among them that would disagree with him. If it hadn't been for Charlie, Posner would still be on the loose and looking for his next victim.

"_**Why play this game? We both know that Professor Eppes is standing behind that **__**window."**_

Don stiffened up as the killer's words came over the speaker and in stunned silence closed the short space separating him from his brother. As muttered exclamations of surprise echoed around the small room he took up a protective stance directly behind Charlie; his dark brown eyes growing darker with anger as he listened to the man in the next room.

"Wait….what did Posner just say?" Colby asked worriedly as he drifted over to stand beside the brothers.

"He knew about Charlie!"Liz exclaimed; a look of astonishment crossing her features as she edged closer to the silent mathematician

Neither Don nor Charlie had spoken a word, both brothers waiting with bated breath; clinging to every word the serial killer uttered.

* * *

Seasoned agents all…..except for one.

Charlie felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck as he watched the man talk about the murders…no… not talk….he was actually bragging about his crimes. The young Professor swallowed hard as he listened to Posner's account, mesmerized by the man's behavior. How could someone carry out such heinous crimes and be able to talk so calmly about them? It was unnerving to know that such a man not only existed but was also sitting just a few feet away from him…. with only a thin window separating them.

The young professor had spent countless hours compiling data on murders that had been committed in the Los Angeles area. After his brother's near fatal injury he had decided to try a new approach to crime fighting; one that he hoped would help predict crimes and cut down the risk to the officers responding to the scenes but his data had shown him an unexpected pattern.

The trail of a stealth predator serial killer had emerged and although the pattern was very clear to him he had been unable to convince David or the other members of the team that it was real. Even Amita and Larry had thought his actions were just a reaction to Don's injury and it wasn't until Amita had checked his calculations in an effort to prove him wrong that she finally realized that he was right and took her findings to Don. The agent was still recovering from his injury and was on limited duty but he went to the office and reviewed the files that had been gathered on the latest murders before confronting David and the team with the fact that he believed that Charlie was right, that there really was a serial killer on the loose. Taking responsibility for the inquiry he ordered the team to initiate a full scale investigation using the data that Charlie had compiled. A day later Charlie's equation pinpointed a number of likely targets allowing the team to successfully foil an attack on a married couple. Finally their continued efforts revealed a suspect and they arrested the elusive serial killer.

Charlie stood foremost at the window with Colby on his right and Liz on his left while Don and the other agents watched from behind them. An audible gasp escaped his lips when Posner's head swiveled around and faced the window; the man's eyes appeared to penetrate the glass and meet with his. He shrugged uncomfortably; there was no way the man would know who was watching him, let alone single him out, so he tried to ignore the stare and concentrate on the conversation. When Posner turned and faced the agents again the young professor released a sigh of relief but it was a fleeting moment because a second later he thought that he heard his own name mentioned by the killer.

"_What…how….he knows me_?" Charlie thought to himself; eyes widening in surprise. He had imagined it….right? But then why had Colby and Liz moved closer and why was Don now standing right behind him?

He couldn't take his eyes off of Posner as the man explained to the agents how he had discovered the professor's involvement in the case and then…

"_**The logical solution would have been to arrange an accident…but then I developed a strong desire to see the professors face when I killed him. Can you imagine the thrill of watching the light go out of those intelligent eyes?"**_

Charlie's breath caught in his throat; Posner had planned to kill him! Wild-eyed he twisted around to meet his brother's eye. "I…I never considered that in my equation" he managed to stammer out..."but now I see that perhaps I should have. Posner's pattern clearly showed that the micro clusters occurred when he was eliminating threats." He rubbed his brow nervously as he tried to explain. "The detective in Barstow, the..the..Postman and Gene Evans…..and…and me." His voice dropped to a near whisper as he finished and turned around, still in a state of disbelief, to find Posner once again staring at the observation window.

"Don't worry Charlie; he can't come after you now." Don mumbled, trying to keep his voice steady and reassuring even though he, himself, felt anything but calm. His head tilted slightly to the side as he caught the end of a statement that the killer had just made.

_  
__**"All of my surveillance files and target scenarios are there."**_

Don abruptly turned to one of the agents in the room. "Marcus, find Matt and get that laptop in here."

The agent left immediately and the others turned back to view the interrogation. Don's eyes narrowed as he mulled over what the killer had just said and he felt another chilling sensation at the thought of the man going after his brother.

"_**To tell you the truth, I still get tingly all over just thinking about it; killing him would have been my tour de force….I mean how would you top that?"**_

Charlie staggered backwards with a gasp; his hand covering his mouth in horror as Posner's words hit home. That this man had not only planned his death but had looked at it as being his crowning achievement shook him to the core and he swallowed hard against the realization. Don was right behind him and squeezed his shoulder firmly to steady him; just knowing that his brother was there helped and he took a deep breath as he tried to reign in the overwhelming sense of panic that was threatening to engulf him.

Don frowned, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening, as he felt his brother's body shudder beneath his hand. Posner's words had made his own blood run cold and he had been trained to deal with sociopath's so he could only imagine how Charlie was feeling at the moment. His heart did a small flip flop; he hadn't wanted this life for his brother and knowing that Charlie had become a target only worsened his feelings of guilt. Guilt turned to rage suddenly as he clicked on his radio.

"Hell no!" he muttered furiously in response to a request that Posner had just made to David.

Startled, Charlie jumped at his tone and turned around to face him; his brows knitting together worriedly. "Don, I..ah." He cleared his throat and began again. "If you think that it would…."

Don stopped him before he could go any further. "Forget it Charlie." He said patting his shoulder reassuringly. "There's no reason for you to meet with this guy."

Relieved, Charlie simply nodded and turned back to face the window.

Don was still fuming over Posner's request when the door opened and Matt Li, their lab technician, entered the room carrying the killer's laptop.

"Plug it in over there and show me what you've found." Don ordered, pointing to a small table in the back of the room. Matt had worked with Don long enough to know when to ask a question or just do as he was told and he had no doubt what the SAC's mood was at this moment. Without a word, he hurried over the table and powered up the computer.

"It took us a while, but we figured out his password and gained access to his files. He kept very detailed records of his activities." Matt looked up at Don, a sickly expression on his face. "That man has killed a lot of people."

"Yeah, I know." Don replied, more gruffly than he had intended but he needed an answer to a more pressing question. "Did you find any files on future victims?"

Matt looked surprised. "Ah…no….and we've gone through all of the files."

Colby let out a relieved sigh. "So Posner was lying then."

"But how do you explain the fact that he knows about Charlie?" Liz asked as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Don's brow furrowed and he shook his head. "I don't think he was lying… I have a hunch that he was telling the truth."

"Then maybe he's hidden the information." Charlie said, his voice becoming calmer as his mind began to explore various ways to discover the truth. "Mind if I take a look?"

"No…ah.. go right ahead." Matt replied, quickly vacating the chair for the professor.

"I'm not sure that you should be doing this Charlie. If Posner was telling the truth there might be stuff about you in those files." Don said as his brother started tapping on the keys.

Charlie looked up, his expressive brown eyes dark and troubled. "Don, please, I need to do this."

Don rubbed his hand over his mouth as he met his brother's gaze and reluctantly nodded in agreement just as Nikki and David rushed into the room.

"Damn psycho!" The African-American agent muttered under his breath as he strode angrily to the observation window.

"You okay?' Colby asked as he joined his partner. It wasn't like David to lose his temper; he was usually the calm one.

David glanced at Charlie and Don; lowering his voice as he spoke. "You heard Posner; he was going to kill Charlie."

"Yeah, we heard him." Colby muttered grimly as he jammed his clenched fists into the pockets of his jeans.

"How did Charlie take it?" Nikki asked, joining the small group.

"It definitely caught him by surprise." Liz said quietly over Colby's shoulder. "But all in all, I think he's handling it pretty good."

"It shook him up though……Don too." Colby said with a sideways glance at the mathematician and his brother."Both of their faces turned pretty pale but Don recovered fast and if that window hadn't separated him from Posner we would have had a hard time stopping Don from taking matters into his own hands."

They shared a knowing look and an uneasy silence fell between them as four pairs of eyes refocused on Posner. The man had just made a call to his lawyer and was in the process of handing the phone back to an agent. Robert chose that moment to turn and stare at the observation window; nodding and smiling just to let the agents know that he knew they were still there.

"I'm not sure I would have stopped him." David said softly; eyes narrowing as he stared at the prisoner. "Hell… I think I might have joined him myself."

"Has Charlie found anything?" Nikki asked her eyes still locked on Posner.

"No, he just started looking." Colby answered with a shake of his head.

A phone rang and another agent in the room fished out his cell. A few clipped words and he and his partner left the small room to return to more pressing matters. The room grew silent again which enhanced the sound the keys made as Charlie proceeded to break through the killer's encryptions.

"Have you found anything?" Don asked, hovering over his brother's shoulder.

Charlie stopped typing and rubbed two fingers over his lips thoughtfully; eyes never leaving the text on the laptop screen.

"He's used some type of advanced coding to hide his files; the entire hard drive has been encrypted." The professor mumbled absently as he tapped a few more keys.

Don glanced at Matt. "How come you didn't figure that out?"

"We thought we had found everything?" The technician replied defensively.

"It would be difficult to find." Charlie spoke up in Matt's defense. "Posner created a phantom hard drive to hide additional information but there must be an executable file to access the partition."

"You can find it though….right?" Don asked, leaning over his shoulder to study the text displayed on the screen.

Charlie nodded his head while he worked. "His scripto system is based on a super singular curve so it shouldn't take me very long to break the encryption."

"Not exactly in my skill set." Matt commented ruefully.

Don grinned and patted his shoulder. "Well, don't let it bother you; I'd say that applies to all but one of us in this room."

"That's a vast understatement Don." Colby snickered, turning away from the window and with the other three agents trailing him, strolled over to join the SAC.

"I've got something." Charlie spoke up suddenly; the data on the screen scrolling by so fast that Don wondered how his brother could even make sense of it, but then again, he thought proudly, Charlie's eidetic memory helped him see things quicker than most people could.

The data suddenly came to a stop and after a few clicks here and a few there, a library of documents popped up on the screen. Another click and icons of file folders appeared, each one identified with a set of initials.

Charlie glanced up at his brother. "There are a least thirty folders on this page and there is a link to another library as well."

"Click on one of folders Charlie, let's see what the initials represent." Don ordered.

Charlie chose one bearing the initials of B.D.; an eerie silence engulfed the room as the file opened revealing photographs and a detailed research report on Brent Driscoll, the detective from Bakersfield. Driscoll had been working with Gene Evans while investigating the murder of a young woman and had died himself in a drowning incident. His death had been labeled accidental but Don and his team now had proof that the detective had been murdered.

"He probably has one for each of his victims." Nikki mumbled under her breath.

"We'll take it from here Charlie." Don said abruptly, spying a folder marked with the initials of C.E. but he wasn't quick enough; his brother had also spotted the document.

Charlie's finger hovered momentarily before he moved the cursor over the folder. Did he really want to know how Posner had planned to kill him? The answer was simple…yes…he had to know.

"No, wait. Don't open it!" Don cried out in an attempt to stop his brother but it was too late; he had already hit the key.

Charlie's face paled and Don drew in his breath with an audible "hiss" as the document opened up before them.

_TBC  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_Preconceptions_

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1_

_A/N: You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for your reviews._

Posner's text will appear in bold italics.

_  
_Chapter 3:

Letters….twenty-six letters in the alphabet to be exact. Letters that had been arranged to form words and sentences for the specific purpose of planning the demise of a certain mathematician. Numbers were his passion but these letters, assembled in this precise manner, were of more importance to him than his precious equations at that moment. They were just words on a computer screen and yet they were so much more than that because this particular grouping of letters represented a blueprint for murder….. his murder.

It felt surreal, that was the only word that came to mind as Charlie read through the document. Behind him, he could hear the angry and outraged exclamations voiced by his brother and friends but it was as if they were speaking from a great distance and were too far away to penetrate his shocked senses. Stunned, he continued to scan the serial killer's notes looking for anything that he could use to dispel the disturbing words displayed on the screen. This couldn't be happening to him…..he was just a mathematician….and yet there was no denying it because he was staring at the indisputable truth. That someone had actually plotted to kill him was inconceivable and yet before him was a detailed plan to do just that.

Charlie's heart was racing; pounding in his ears, as he followed the killer's thought process. If it were any other paper he would have applauded the well- organized way the writer had laid out his plans; after all, as a mathematician he appreciated the use of logic when solving problems. But now he wished that Posner hadn't been so methodical because it was obvious to him that the man would have had a high percentage rate of success in carrying out his scenario. It became clear to him how the killer had eluded the police for so long and as he continued to read through the notes a shudder coursed through his body.

"_**Along with the father and brother an unidentified man and woman appear to live at the house as well, making it difficult to catch the Professor home alone. The brother is a major risk factor; although he is recovering from an injury I must assume that he is still armed and the fact that he is an FBI agent would make him more suspicious of strangers than the average person. Due to the fact that Agent Eppes spends so much time at the house and because I cannot take as much time planning this project as I have with my other endeavors I have determined that this would not be a viable location for an attack. (I need to do more research on him before I follow through with my plan but I fear that I have already given the Professor more time than I can afford.)**_

**Another possibility would be for him to be involved in a vehicle accident. I have followed the professor to Calsci and know the route that he takes. He often works late so it would be easy to arrange an accident on his way home. There is a trucking company on the south side of Pasadena where I can steal an eighteen-wheeler for the job, and then all I would have to do is wait for Dr. Eppes to pass by and ram his car on the driver's side. The Prius that he drives would offer little protection so his death would be a certainty. This scenario has worked well in the past and would mean less risk for me. The authorities and the FBI would have no reason to suspect that his death was intentional; it would appear as a simple hit and run.**

_**I find myself at odds here because I want his death to be more personal; I'm torn between taking the safer route or the riskier one. The idea of killing him has awakened a base desire within me; an exhilaration that I haven't felt since my first murder and I am having difficulty restraining myself. If I had more time this wouldn't be an issue because I could do a more thorough research of the subject but time constraints do not give me that option. (Oh…what to do….what should I do?)**_

_**  
I have decided that despite the risk I have to handle this one on a more personal basis so to that end I have come up with a new scenario, one that will allow me to take a "hands on" approach to the Professor's murder. This one is special so for the first time I will not wear any gloves, I will use my bare hands when I kill him. I want to feel the life leave his body as he dies and watch the light go out of his eyes. (I want this so badly that I can almost feel myself doing it now.)**_

Charlie's eyes widened with horror as he read Posner's final solution and it was with a trembling hand that he pushed a few stray curls from his forehead; he could almost see Posner drooling as he wrote out his plans and he felt sickened by the man's desire to kill him. He was so lost in the man's thoughts that he jumped when Don placed a hand on his shoulder; startled he looked around to meet his brother's worried gaze.

"It was today Don." Charlie murmured in a choked voice. "Posner was going to kill me today……this afternoon….after my last student conference." He ran his fingers nervously over his lips as he glanced back at the screen. "Or more precisely..." he added in a near whisper. "... at exactly 5:15."

"Yeah, I saw it Charlie." Don responded softly; his own eyes reflecting the same fear that he now saw in his brother's face and wishing with all his heart that he could make it go away….make it so that his brother had never had to experience this horror.

"He was…he was..." Charlie paused to clear his throat "That man was going to suffocate me…it's all written here…exactly how he planned to do it."

"Come on buddy." Don said quietly. "Let the guys take it from here….you don't need to see anymore of this."

In a daze Charlie rose to his feet but he had only taken a few steps before he caught sight of the serial killer, still seated in the interrogation room.

Fear turned to anger as he pointed to the man in the next room and cried out. "Posner was going to tie me up and hold a clear plastic bag over my face so that he could watch me die!" Before anyone could respond he covered his mouth with his hand; eyes taking on a distant look. "What was it he said?" he whispered. "...something about watching the lights go out of my eyes."

Don hurried over and gripped him by the shoulders; shaking him slightly to get his attention. "Listen to me Charlie, Posner's never going to get out of jail. Thanks to you he will never be able to hurt anyone again or come after you." He looked deep into his brother's eyes and added passionately. "I promise."

"Sorry." Charlie said softly, ducking his head and looking away. "I didn't mean to…ah…cause a scene. It's just a little disconcerting….that's all."

"It's okay Charlie." Don said, releasing him. "I'm not sure that any of us would have reacted any differently than you did."

"There's nothing for you to feel sorry about Charlie." David said, coming over to stand beside of him as the rest of the team gathered around them.

"David's right Charlie." Colby added. "Posner is the only one that should feel sorry here."

"That's not going to happen." Nikki huffed. "That man doesn't even know what the word means."

"It's like he's some monster that crawled out of the night shadows." Liz said with a shiver; her eyes drifting to the man in the next room.

"Oh my God!" Matt exclaimed; he had wandered over to the laptop after the rest of the team had moved away.

Six heads swiveled in his direction and he looked up disturbed by what he had just read. "Man, this was close Charlie. That man has been tracking you since the postman's murder." He glanced back at the screen. "We should have believed you from the beginning. I mean he could have taken you out before we were even looking for a serial killer."

"Matt, take the laptop and hook it up in the conference room." Don ordered, interrupting the technician from saying anything else; the truth was he had been thinking along the same lines as Matt.

"Oh…ah sure." Embarrassed at his outburst, the technician grabbed the laptop and headed out the door without another word.

"There but for the grace of God, I go." Charlie intoned quietly; his eyes following Matt as he carried the computer to the conference room. If the agents hadn't caught up to Posner when they did, then in all probability he would now be counted as one of his victims.

"Don't even say that Charlie." Don retorted anxiously; his brother's use of the well known proverb was certainly appropriate but its implications chilled him to the bone.

"It's the truth Don, you can't deny...." Charlie started to reply but he never finished his sentence; the sound of Posner's voice suddenly filled the small room.

"_**Professor? Professor Eppes are you in there?" **_

The color drained from Charlie's face as he turned to look at the serial killer. He knew the man couldn't see him but it was uncanny how Posner seemed to know that he was in the next room; it was as if the man really could sense his presence.

"Shut off that damn audio feed!" Don ordered abruptly to no one in particular.

Liz was closest to the machine and hurriedly turned off the switch. Apparently Posner had grown bored because he continued to look toward the observation room and carry on an imaginary conversation with the agents behind the darkened glass.

Don gritted his teeth as he watched the killer continue his efforts to contact his brother. Fear and anger were beginning to take its toll on his emotions; he was torn between a desire to get his brother away from there and a growing rage that was threatening to send him into the next room to beat Posner senseless. He was finding the whole situation unsettling and a glance at his team's faces told him that he was not the only one feeling this way. It was time to put an end to this before things got out of hand.

The agent took a deep breath and turned to his team. "You guys don't need me to wrap up here so I think Charlie and I will head on home." His brother appeared to be coming out of his daze so he lied to keep him from arguing with him. "My side is beginning to ache a little bit so I'm thinking the couch will feel pretty good about now. Okay if I hitch a ride with you Chuck?" He asked, wincing and rubbing his side to add a little emphasis to his complaint.

It worked, Charlie's mouth opened but closed as soon as he mentioned that his side was hurting. He ducked his head and looked to the side. "Okay…ah...sure." Stepping around Don he moved to the door. "I'll…ah…just wait out here."

"I'll be right there Charlie." Don called out as he watched his brother leave the room; arms clenched tightly at his sides.

Don's eyes were clouded with worry when he turned to face his team. "There's no reason for Charlie to ever see that file again." He said grimly. "We found enough evidence at Posner's house to insure that he gets the death penalty and the stuff that he has recorded on that laptop will prove that all of the murders were premeditated."

"Don't worry Don." David replied with a firm nod of his head. "We'll make sure that Charlie doesn't come in contact with those files again."

"Good." Don said striding for the door. "I'm going to get him out of here so that you guys can take care of it." He flung open the door but looked back over his shoulder as he walked through it. "Don't forget….." he stopped mid sentence as he ran into the back of his brother. "Charlie what's going….?" The words choked in his throat as he lifted his eyes and looked over the top of the professor's curly head.

Charlie was standing stock still, seemingly frozen in place, face to face with Robert Posner.

_TBC_


	4. Chapter 4

_Preconceptions  
_

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 4:

"I'll…ah…just wait out here." Charlie said; heading for the outer office. He heard his brother call after him and acknowledged it with a wave of his hand as the door closed behind him.

Charlie needed air; needed to get out of the observation room and be alone to get his emotions under control. Everything was out of focus, his thoughts all jumbled and swirling around inside of his head. He needed to work on an equation or an expression…anything that could help him put the events of the past few hours into some logical pattern. With that on his mind he forged ahead without really noticing his surroundings and had only taken a few steps from the door when his shoulder bumped up against another person.

"Oh….sorry." Charlie mumbled, startled out of his reverie. He glanced sideways with the intention of apologizing further but the words caught in his throat when he found himself gazing into the all too familiar eyes of Robert Posner. With a yell he scrambled backwards but after only a few steps he came up against the door and was forced to stop.

Wide eyed and a little breathless he focused on the agent standing behind Posner. "Wh..…what's going on here?'

"It's okay Professor." The agent responded quickly while tightening his grip on the killer's arm. "He's not going to hurt you."

"Finally, Moriarty meets Holmes." Posner purred, speaking up before Charlie could reply to the agent. "I've always known that it would take another genius to catch me. We are so much alike…you and I."

At the killer's words, Charlie felt a surge of rage course through his body replacing the mind numbing fear that he had experienced only moments before. Bristling with anger he raised his chin defiantly as he stepped forward to let the man know just what he thought of his ridiculous statement. Days without sleep, doubt from the team and his friends and last but not least, finding out that he had been slated to become the killer's next victim had taken its toll and now all he wanted to do….no…needed to do was to strike back and make Posner suffer some of the same anguish that he had inflicted on so many others. Words could hurt too, elicit pain just as well as any physical trauma, and with that in mind, Charlie threw caution to the wind and gave the prisoner a well-deserved piece of his mind.

"You're obviously delusional if you see yourself as a criminal mastermind, my nemesis and a genius." The contempt in his voice was unmistakable; Charlie never flaunted his genius; it was just a part of who he was but when the situation called for it he had no problem in rising to the occasion. Normally this only occurred in academic circles but this man's arrogance along with his suggestion that they were on an equal level evoked such an intense outrage in him that he felt an urgent need to make the man aware of the vast differences between them.

"You think very highly of yourself Mr. Posner but I I've broken your encryption and it was hardly the work of a genius. I found your phantom hard drive and your files in only a few minutes." Charlie's face had turned red and the vein in his neck was bulging from the force of his anger; the very idea that this serial killer, this man who had committed such heinous acts, had the gall to claim that they shared some commonality filled him with such loathing that he could not restrain himself from lashing out.

"As a matter of fact." he continued heatedly."High school students use the same code to hide their activities from their parents." Holding Posner's gaze he added contemptuously. "You're nothing more than a murderer…a man that stalks and kills innocent people and children." An expression of disgust crossed his features as he continued his tirade. "You are a man that believes he has accomplished something that everyone should praise him for but in reality will go down in history as just another madman who killed a lot of people."

Posner face suddenly contorted with rage as he made a lunge toward the mathematician but he had only taken one step before the agent jerked him back.

"Stay where you are Posner!" he ordered gruffly.

The serial killer angrily held up his wrists and rattled the cuffs at the agent. "It's not like I can hurt him….remember?"

"I said…don't move!" The agent hissed in his ear.

It brought little comfort to Charlie that the man's hands were handcuffed or that an armed agent was standing behind him because the angry gleam in Posner's eyes was enough to convince him that those hands were just itching to close tightly around his throat. But Charlie was beyond caring and kept his feet firmly planted on the floor; he needed to show this man that he wasn't afraid of him and as he thought of it, clarity of mind returned and he realized that he wasn't frightened anymore. No matter what this man had done or had planned to do, he was no longer a threat to him or anyone else and as his anger faded his heart filled with pride that his abilities with numbers had helped the FBI capture him.

"What's the matter?" Charlie taunted him. "I thought you wanted a face to face with me."

"I put you on my level!" Posner snarled viciously; spittle flying from his mouth. "I've never done that with anyone before….never…and …and you treat me like this?"

"Your level?" Charlie replied archly. "Why would I want to come down to your level?"

"We are alike!" Robert hissed; his blue eyes shooting daggers at the young man. It was incomprehensible to him that the man that he had idolized so much could deny his brilliance and their connection. Yes, he had planned to kill the professor but that was out of necessity and because he admired him so much he was going to make it more personal to show his respect for the man.

"I'm a mathematician not a murderer." Charlie said with a frown as he thought of Posner's victims. "We are nothing alike and now you will never be able to hurt anyone else again."

"Sorry Professor, we have to be on our way." The agent announced suddenly as he nudged Posner to move along.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I didn't mean to get in your way. " Charlie replied, suddenly embarrassed at his outburst. He glanced around the office and for the first time noted the other agents watching their encounter. A number of them had stood up and were looking over their cubicles while others had stopped in the walkways to see what was going on. He glanced at his watch and was surprised that although it seemed like they had been there for a while, in truth, only a few minutes had passed since Charlie had left the observation room.

"Get moving Posner." The agent ordered, emphasizing his words with a shove but before they were able to take one step the door to the observation room opened and with an "oomph" Charlie was suddenly pushed a few steps forward when his brother bumped into him as he came rushing out of the room.

"Charlie what's going on…?" Don's question stopped abruptly at the sight of Posner. Stepping quickly around his brother Don immediately planted himself between Charlie and Posner; keeping a wary eye on the prisoner he angrily confronted the agent standing behind him.

"What the hell's going on Henderson? Why is this man here and since when is it protocol to move a prisoner with just one agent?"

Taken aback by the SAC's angry tone the agent was quick to defend himself. "Sorry sir but Posner had to go to the restroom and I'm not alone, Agent Clark is escorting the prisoner with me." His head swiveled around to point out the agent but his eyes widened in surprise when he was unable to locate him. "He was right behind me sir."

"Don." Charlie said trying to get in a word. "It was my fault, I bumped into them."

"Not now Charlie." Don replied impatiently over his shoulder; never taking his eyes off of the prisoner.

At that moment Agent Clark hurried over to join them muttering breathlessly. "Sorry, had to take a phone call." Clark was new to the L.A. office and fresh out of Quantico but he could tell from the stern expression on Agent Eppes's face that he had just made a huge mistake.

"A phone call. You left your post to answer a phone call?" The SAC asked incredulously. "The training at Quantico must have become pretty lax since I taught there." Don angrily poked his finger at the young agent and shouted. "Never leave your post agent, especially when you're escorting a suspected killer! Just because he hasn't tried anything yet doesn't mean that he won't!"

Sweat beaded on the agent's forehead as he hurriedly tried to appease the senior agent. "I swear sir that it will never happen again."

"I don't know what all of the fuss is about." Posner's amused voice interrupted the two agents. "I'm not exactly in a position to hurt the professor."

The angry light in Don's eyes was abruptly replaced with one of pure hatred as he turned his steely gaze on the killer. Undaunted by Posner's cold stare Don leaned forward until only a few inches separated their faces.

"No, but you planned to..didn't you?" The agent hissed accusingly. "If you ever go near my brother…. I promise you…. it will be the last thing that you ever do!" Don's voice was barely audible to anyone else in the room but there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the agent had just given the man a warning.

Don stepped backwards and motioned for the agents and Posner to move ahead. "Colby, go with them." He ordered; his dark eyes locked on Posner. "Don't let him out of your sight until he's back in that room and make sure that there are two guards on that door!"

"I'm on it Don." Colby said, quickly moving into position.

The smile had slipped from Posner's face as he moved past the small group; his cold eyes lingering briefly on Agents Eppes face before searching for one last glimpse of the young professor. The rest of Don's team had followed him out and had clustered tightly around Charlie so that all he could see were a few errant strands of dark brown curls.

Five pair of eyes followed Posner's movements until he turned a corner and disappeared from view; as one the agents released a collective sigh of relief and hands hovering over holsters dropped to their sides once again.

"You okay buddy?" Don asked; turning around anxiously to check him over. He had expected to see panic in those expressive brown eyes but much to his surprise a fairly calm Charlie was returning his gaze.

"Yeah…uh..sure." Charlie said ducking his head and looking away. "It…it was just a little disconcerting….I mean.. running into him like that."

"Yeah, I know." Don said quietly as he looped an arm around his brother's shoulders and steered him toward the elevator. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Charlie simply nodded and let Don guide him along but he was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped when the elevator doors suddenly opened before him. He felt foolish and hoped that his brother hadn't noticed how jumpy he was but he should have known better; Don was much too observant to miss something like that.

"You'll never have to see him again Charlie. " Don said in an effort to calm his own fears as well as those of his brother. "He'll never see the outside of a prison again and unless I miss my guess, there is a cell waiting for him on Death Row."

"I know that Don." Charlie replied, leaning back against the metal car. "I'm fine….really. The whole thing just caught me by surprise….that's all."

The elevator doors began to close and Charlie caught sight of David watching them. There was something about the expression on the agent's face that caught at the edge of his mind but the doors slid shut before he could put his finger on it and as they closed his thoughts drifted back to his encounter with Robert Posner.

_3333333333333333_

David's shoulders slumped as he watched the elevator doors close around Don and Charlie; the fear and shock of running into Posner still vividly reflected in his friend's dark brown eyes. He sagged wearily against the side of a cubicle momentarily overcome by the physical and emotional aspects of the case.

"David I have Mrs. Posner in Room 3." Liz said coming up behind him. "Did you want to sit in on the interview?"

"No." He said drawing in a deep breath and turning around to face her. "You can handle it. I doubt that she knows anything though, she seemed pretty shocked when we arrested her husband."

"I feel sorry for the poor woman and her kids." Liz glanced sideways at the Posner's wife. "I can't imagine how she must be feeling right now. This is something that will be hard for her to deal with and then she will have to find some way to tell her kids that their father is a serial killer."

"Not an easy task." David conceded.

"I guess I might as well get this over with." Liz mumbled but as she turned to leave Sinclair grabbed her arm.

"Why don't you close the shades and keep it private." He said with a glance at the other end of the office.

Liz followed his gaze and noted Posner and his escorts emerging from the restroom and with a nod of her head she left to interview the killer's wife.

David strode forward and intercepted the small group of agents and their prisoner. "Colby take him down and get him processed." He said; his voice coming out harsher than he intended. "We've got enough evidence to formally charge him with murder. His lawyer can catch up to him in holding and you two stay with him until he is locked up in a cell." David added with a pointed look at Henderson and Clark.

"Right. Let's go Posner." Colby said as he steered the man toward the elevators.

The killer shuffled along behind him, his head swiveling from side to side as he peered through the glass walls.

Colby impatiently hit the elevator button, eager to get Posner behind bars and out of his hair. "Are you looking for someone Posner?'

Robert's eyes flickered toward him just as the elevator doors opened. "I just thought….never mind."

"Yeah." Colby muttered angrily. "Well, you can just get that thought out of your head. That's the last sight you'll ever have of Professor Eppes." He pushed the man forward. "Now get in." he ordered, noting with satisfaction that he had guessed correctly when Posner graced him with an angry glare.

333333333333333333333333

David rubbed his eyes and then leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Robert Posner's notes were up on the large plasma screen and he and Nikki had been going through them to try and identify all of his victims.

"_How could I have been so stupid?" he thought to himself. "Why hadn't he listened to Charlie when he had insisted that he had found the pattern of a serial killer?_

He knew why, he just didn't want to admit it to himself. David had been so sure of himself, so sure that Charlie had been overeacting to Don's injury that he hadn't taken him seriously. The agent leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table while he massaged his temples. _"Why hadn't he listened to_ _his friend? Why? _The answer came to him almost immediately. He had made his mind up before Charlie had even given him all of the details because he had assumed that a situation that had happened once before was being repeated and because he had been afraid of looking foolish.

There hadn't been any hard evidence to open a case, just Charlie's numbers telling him that a serial killer was on the loose so he had dismissed it and sent him to work with a man the bureau considered to be "a conspiracist nutcase." As it turned out the man had actually been able to help Charlie find Posner but he had sent Charlie there just to get him out of the office; he hadn't really expected the professor to find anything useful.

David berated himself; he had come to all of the wrong conclusions during the course of the investigation and it would have cost Charlie his life if Don had not intervened and taken responsibility for the case.

Charlie would be dead now and Posner would still be free all because he had based his decisions on a pre-conceived idea.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

_Preconceptions_

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 5:

The J Edgar Rice Building, or the building better known to the residents of Los Angeles as the Federal Detention Center, was only two blocks from FBI headquarters but to Colby it seemed more like sixty. He had chosen to drive; ordering Henderson and Clark to the back seat with a shackled Posner sitting between them. The serial killer had retreated into silence, staring straight ahead; his cold blue eyes focused on something that only he could see. Colby felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck as he glanced in the rearview mirror and met the man's eyes but Posner wasn't looking at him…..it was more like he was looking through him. The prisoner had been docile enough, Colby would give him that, but he felt that beneath that calm exterior the man was seething with an unbridled rage and that he would lash out when they least expected it. He would hate to be the recipient of that anger and from the maniacal look in his eyes Colby surmised that murder would be the end result but he could only speculate on who that person was unless Posner let it slip and right now he wasn't talking.

"_Maybe it's Don."_ Colby thought "_It could be Don if Posner resented what the agent had said to him back at headquarters." _He slowed to a stop at a red light and caught sight of the detention center up ahead; pushing aside his thoughts of Posner's state of mind he turned his focus on the job at hand.

Rising ten stories off the Hollywood Freeway on the corner of Alameda and Aliso streets the imposing structure of the LA Detention Center seemed out of place in a city known for its glitz and glamour. The stucco and glass building presented a sharp contrast to the variety of skyscrapers nearby, not only in appearance but also in its function. While the surrounding towers housed business offices of the Hollywood elite this formidable structure was the home of some of the most notorious criminals in Southern California. The dark barbed wire that adorned parts of the building was designed to offer assurances to the local population that all of these felons would remain behind those concrete walls.

Colby flipped on his turn signal and pulled off Highway 101, bringing the car to a stop alongside the guard's booth at the entrance to the federal building. He looked up as the prison guard approached the car and fished out his Identification card; powering down the window he handed it to the guard as he identified himself.

"Special Agent Granger, FBI. I've got a prisoner for holding, maximum security."

"Just a minute Agent Granger, I have to check your I.D. first." Alex Jenkins had been a security guard for fifteen years and in all that time he had always played it by the book; today was no exception. He scrutinized Colby's face and compared it with his photograph then bent over to peer into the backseat of the vehicle making sure that he had a clear view of all of the occupants. "I'll need your I.D's gentlemen, please pass them over."

Henderson opened his window and held out his I.D. along with his partners. The guard studied their faces and returned to his booth where he contacted central security and confirmed the identification numbers of the agents by comparing their pictures to the ones that were on file; finally satisfied that his visitors were who they appeared to be, he returned to the vehicle and handed the cards back to the agents.

Jenkins straightened up and pointed to the underground parking entrance. "Drive straight ahead and as you enter the garage follow the arrows to the elevators; you'll have an escort waiting for you there."

"Thanks." Colby said, blinking against a sudden bright light; the sun had reflected off of the gold badge the guard was wearing on his chest and hit his eyes. As his vision cleared he put the car in gear and headed into the parking garage. As promised, they were met by two more guards and headed up to the admissions station. It was a short trip and in a few minutes they were entering the office and after a few words with one of the officers the agents turned their prisoner over to them. Protocol called for them to remain in the room while the prisoner was being admitted so they stepped aside and observed the process.

"Empty your pockets and remove your watch and ring; you can put them in there." The Federal Corrections officer informed Posner motioning toward an empty container on a nearby table then he positioned the prisoner in front of a camera.

"Face forward." The guard ordered. "Keep your eyes straight ahead." He added with a stern command after Posner had glanced at the agents to his left.

Colby and Henderson stood off to the left side as the guard processed Posner while Agent Clark and another jailer took up a position on the opposite side of the prisoner. The FBI had taken their own photographs and fingerprints of the serial killer but the detention center repeated the process, not only for their own files, but also for comparison with the FBI's.

"Turn to your left." The officer ordered and Posner obediently turned sideways so that a photo of his left profile could be taken."

Henderson casually popped a piece of Nicorette gum into his mouth and at Colby's glance shrugged his shoulders. "I've been trying to quit for a while now, finally got desperate and decided to give this a try."

"How's that going?" Colby asked; his eyes never leaving the prisoner.

"Too soon to tell." Henderson responded with a grimace, also keeping an eye on Posner.

"Turn to the right." The officer commanded; once again the prisoner complied.

Henderson glanced sideways at Colby; he had only been at the LA office for a few months and this was the first time that he had worked closely with Don's team. They had an impressive reputation; with an eighty-five percent solve rate no one would deny that their methods were effective and he knew that part of the reason for this was the lead agent's brother so with the voice of the guard in the background, Henderson decided to try and learn a little more about the team and the best way to do that he figured was to catch Granger off guard.

"Agent Eppes sure is a hard-ass isn't he?" He asked casually without taking his eyes off of the prisoner.

This warranted a quick glance from Granger along with a sharp retort. "Hey! Don was just doing his job man; don't blame him because you didn't do yours!"

Loyalty, he had expected that. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. I did deserve it but that isn't what I meant." Henderson said, waving his hand dismissively. "I was talking about what he said to Posner. Eppes is a little overprotective of his brother, don't you think?"

Colby tightened his jaw and glared at the prisoner. "I didn't hear Don say anything to the man," he lied, "but hypothetically if he had, then Posner probably deserved it. Besides," he said darkly, "after what we found on Posner's hard drive that man is damn lucky he's still breathing." Colby felt that Don had been within his rights to threaten Posner so he certainly wasn't going to give anyone anything useful that could be used against him.

Henderson's eyes widened in surprise as the reason for Don's behavior suddenly became clear. "He was going after the Professor?"

A quick nod in response was all Colby gave him as he watched the serial killer calmly do as he was told.

"Did Dr. Eppes know that Posner was coming after him?"

"Charlie's the one that discovered it." Colby replied grimly; his eyes firmly planted on Posner.

"Put your right hand on the scanner." The guard ordered in the background.

"Now it all makes sense." Henderson muttered, more to himself than to Granger. "I understood why the Professor got so angry at the man but I wasn't sure why he was so afraid of Posner when he bumped into him. No wonder Dr. Eppes tore into him the way he did."

Colby turned to him in surprise. "Charlie talked to him?"

Henderson nodded and a grin spread across his face. "Posner may have started the conversation but Dr. Eppes finished it for him."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mild-mannered professor turned into superman and chopped the man off at the knees." He chortled. "And after what you just said that moron certainly had it coming."

Colby gaped at him. "You're kidding?"

"Now your left hand." The guard intoned in the background_._

"Nope, Posner said something that pissed him off and he got right up in his face and put him down. I didn't know the little guy could get so fierce, he's always so quiet and reserved whenever I see him." He laughed out loud and added. "The Professor got so worked up that his neck vein was popping out and for a minute there I thought I was going to have to protect the prisoner."

Colby whistled through his teeth. "Now that would have been a sight to see."

Henderson chuckled. "Yeah, it was. I had just started moving Posner along when the professor's brother came storming out of the office. Actually, Eppes didn't have to say anything to the man; Dr. Eppes had already put him in his place.

Colby's eyes grew dark and his voice took on a grim tone. "Yeah, well that's easy for you to say. How would you have reacted if you came face to face with a serial killer who had made your brother his next target?"

"Point taken Granger." The agent muttered; watching the prisoner closely as one of the jailers bent down to put shackles around the man's ankles.

Momentarily distracted by the things that Henderson had told him, Colby was startled when another guard suddenly appeared at his side.

"Agent Granger I just need your signature and we'll take him off your hands." The corrections officer said as he held out a clip board and pen.

"He's all yours." Colby responded eagerly as he quickly signed the form and handed it back to the guard but as the man turned away he tapped him on the shoulder. "Be careful, he appears docile but he's a stone cold killer and I have a feeling that he could get violent pretty fast."

"I appreciate the info Agent Granger and I'll make a note of it on his chart. Rest assured we'll keep a close eye on him." With a curt nod the officer left to oversee Posner's incarceration.

The agents watched silently as Posner's hands were cuffed and the guards led him toward a door at the far end of the room. A buzzer sounded and the door was opened revealing more guards waiting on the other side to escort the killer to his cell.

Posner's head swiveled around and he spoke for the first time since they had left the FBI building. Under hooded eyes he hissed at the agents. "He was wrong…we are alike and someday I'll prove it to him!"

"Get him out of here." Colby ordered gruffly.

Posner's eyes glinted with hatred. "I'm going to make the Professor pay for saying those things to me….. I swear I will!" The last few words were a shout as the guards shoved the killer through the doorway just before the automatic door closed with a bang.

Lost in thought, Colby stared at the door thoughtfully._ "So all this time Posner has been angry with Charlie."_ That discovery was a little unsettling but he found himself even more relieved that the man was now locked up behind the formidable walls of the detention center.

"Ready to go?"

"Ah, yeah." Colby replied; distracted by the killer's parting words. He glanced sideways at Henderson as they headed for the elevator and added. "I've got to know what Charlie said to Posner; you can fill me in on our way back."

They were at the elevators when the two agents realized that Clark wasn't with them. Colby looked around and spotted the man several feet behind them, texting on his cell phone.

"Hey Clark! Are you coming or do you plan to stay here?" He yelled just as the elevator doors opened.

"He's a newlywed." Henderson smirked, offering an explanation for his partner's behavior.

"Yeah, well he better get over that real fast if he's going to make it in our office." Colby said dryly just as the younger agent scurried on board.

Don pushed the lever beneath the passenger seat and emitted a grateful sigh when he could stretch out his legs; Charlie's Prius was nice but it was too small for his tastes. He needed lots of room and preferred traveling in his own SUV but he had already asked his brother for a ride home so he couldn't change his mind now. He rubbed his side in an effort to ease the ache but it did little to stop the incessant throbbing. Initially, he had faked the pain because it had just been a convenient excuse to get Charlie away from headquarters but during his confrontation with the killer Don had exerted so much energy that the tension had caused his injury to become inflamed and now he was really looking forward to lying down on that couch.

"We'll be home soon." Charlie said frowning. "Hopefully a few meds will help you relax." He glanced worriedly at his brother as they wove their way through the congested LA traffic."You got yourself all worked up over nothing."

"I was doing my job Charlie; Henderson broke with protocol and had to be reprimanded."Don replied defensively.

"That wasn't what I was talking about Don and you know it. I had everything under control; it wasn't necessary for you to say anything to Posner."

Don glanced at him and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Yeah, well that wasn't how I saw it."

"You never see it that way." Charlie muttered as he brought the car to a stop at a red light.

"What?" Don's head swiveled around in surprise.

"I'm a grown man Don. I'm not a little kid anymore. " Charlie said, glancing sideways at him. "You don't have to protect me like you used too."

"I know that Charlie." Don sighed. "It's just that when I saw you standing so close to the man that was planning to kill you I just couldn't help myself…..I just sort of lost it."

"Look, Don. I appreciate that you care but the guy was in handcuffs and…damn it!" He exclaimed suddenly as a chorus of car horns suddenly erupted behind them.

"The light's green Charlie." Don said unnecessarily; covering his mouth with his hand as he tried unsuccessfully to hide the grin spreading across his face.

"Yeah, no kidding Don." Charlie remarked sarcastically; his face red with embarrassment as he put the car in motion once again.

They were silent the rest of the way home while Charlie focused all of his attention on the busy LA highway but Don was sure that he saw his brother flinch several times when he passed a few tractor-trailers along the way; he couldn't blame him though, Posner's "accident" scenario came to mind when he saw them too.

Don was pulled from his dark reverie when his brother pulled up in front of the house but it wasn't until he opened the car door that he realized that the car was still running.

"Aren't you coming in?" He asked with a frown.

"I have an appointment, remember?" Charlie glanced at his watch." It's four fifteen; I should be able to just make it in time."

"Oh...I was hoping that we could talk."

"We can talk when I get back. My student conference is only scheduled for a half an hour. I'll be home before five-thirty and then we can talk."

Don was watching the clock too and didn't make any effort to get out of the car_. "Five-fifteen," he thought, "that was when Posner had planned to kill his brothe_r." Suddenly he didn't want to be away from Charlie when that time rolled around; it was an irrational thought ,he knew that because the serial killer was locked up and couldn't hurt him now, but the feeling persisted.

"You know I'm feeling better now. I could go with you and wait for you in your office." Don offered; hoping that his brother would agree.

Charlie shook his head. "I appreciate the offer Don but it's not necessary. For one thing, my office is full of boxes and you wouldn't be able to get comfortable and secondly I'm meeting with a student and trust me, he doesn't need any distractions." Smiling, he waved his hand toward the house. "Go lie down on the couch before you fall down. I'll be back before you know it."

Reluctantly, Don clamored out of the car but hurried around to the driver's side before Charlie pulled out again.

"Charlie are you sure…?" He began worriedly but his brother cut him off.

"Don I'm fine." He put the car in gear and started to pull out but seeing the concerned expression on his brother's face he called out. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon."

Don's shoulders slumped as he watched the little blue Prius disappear from view and slowly made his way into the house. His eyes drifted automatically toward the sofa and with an exaggerated sigh kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the couch. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep but it was too quiet in the house and his thoughts kept returning to the events of the day so he grabbed the remote and switched on the TV. Half-heartedly, he flipped through the sports channels looking for something to watch until he remembered that his favorite baseball team was playing that afternoon.

"Excellent." He said smiling. "This should be a good game….come on Dodgers."

Don adjusted his position on the couch so he was more comfortable and closed his eyes when a commercial came on, intending to just rest them until the game started up again but by the time the Dodgers were back on the field the remote had slipped from his fingers and a soft snore could be heard along with the cheering fans at the stadium.

The loud music did little to silence the accusing voice running through David's head; it was supposed to drown out his thoughts of failure and guilt but for some reason his inner voice still managed to override the sounds of the busy barroom.

He picked up his glass and wandered outside to the patio area; spying an empty table near the end of the patio he wove his way between the crowded tables and pulled out a chair. The legs of the chair scraped loudly against the slate tiles as he pulled it out but the sound went unnoticed among the lively crowd. David sat down heavily; slouching in the chair as he absently stirred the ice in his glass. Despondent over the day's revelations he slumped even further until it was necessary to rest one elbow on the table and hold up his chin; his other hand continued to push the ice in his glass around with the stirrer. The agent sighed; he probably should have just stayed home and tried to relax but the events of the day still had him tightly in its grip and refused to let him go.

A few hours after Don and Charlie had left the office he had dismissed the team early; citing that they could all use a little rest now that Posner was behind bars. Oh, sure, they still had reports to finish but that could be done tomorrow after they all had a good night's rest and a chance to deal with the emotional aspects of this case. That was why he was sitting alone at "The Parrot's Sharp Beak" a small bar in Altadena, trying to deal with his own emotions that had surfaced while dealing with Posner.

The bar had become one of his favorites and was frequented by more than one law enforcement officer in the Los Angeles area. Its owner, a retired officer himself, had named his establishment after the multitude of parrots that lived in the surrounding area and who had actually been bitten by one of them, thus prompting him to change the bars name from "The Parrot's Beak" to its current one. A low wall surrounded the patio and a few feet beyond it grew a number of Persimmon trees which were presently occupied with more than a few of the raucous birds.

His eyes trailed one of the parrots as it helped itself to a persimmon; it's bright blue and red plumage contrasting sharply against the shiny elliptical leaves of the tree making its path an easy one to follow.

David huffed; between the noise the birds were making and the loud music and voices from the bar he would have thought the voice in his head would have been silenced but his thoughts continued to cycle around the case.

The low northwestern drawl at his shoulder did manage to cut through the cacophony of sounds though and caught him off guard. "Want some company?"

Startled David looked up and met the gaze of his friend and partner, Colby Granger; with a grin he waved him to a seat. "Sure, why not?"

"I figured you'd hit the shower and then sack out on the couch." His partner commented as he sat down.

"That was my plan but I just couldn't relax. " David responded with a shrug of his shoulders. "What's your story? I thought you were going to do the same?"

Colby grimaced and rubbed his chin. "Couldn't stop thinking about today. I guess we're suffering from the same ailment."

"It appears to be catching." A female voice intoned sarcastically and they both looked up in surprise to find Liz and Nikki standing beside the table.

"Close your mouth Granger." Nikki advised, waving a hand at the two empty chairs. "Can we sit down or do you guys have dates…. and I don't mean each other.

"The chairs are for you ladies." David said and called a waitress over. "Beers all around?" he asked his friends before placing the order. All heads nodded in agreement and shortly after that the four of them were sipping their drinks.

"Something bothering you mini-Don?" Nikki asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

David smiled at the nickname that she had given him not long after he became Don's second in command and opened his mouth to answer her but then he hesitated and looked away, not really sure where to begin; finally he turned back and began to speak.

"It's this case….it just got to me." David took a sip of his beer. "I made a mistake…..I made an assumption and it could have cost Charlie his life."

Colby rolled the beer bottle between his hands, already knowing where his partner was going; he had been feeling the same way himself. "We all made the same assumption David…it wasn't just you."

Sinclair smiled sadly. "Thanks, but in the end it was my decision to make."

"But David," Liz said leaning forward," all of us thought Charlie's behavior was an overreaction to Don's injury. Remember?"

"And we weren't the only ones; I think Larry and Amita thought he was too." Nikki added defensively.

"I know but that doesn't change the fact that I based my decision on how Charlie reacted to a similar situation five years ago." He threw his hands in the air. "What was I thinking? The truth of the matter is that he is not the young, inexperienced man that he was back then and I failed to take that into consideration."

Liz smiled sadly. "Since he's been working with us he has learned to deal with a lot of difficult situations and that has made him stronger…and we all failed to realize that. "

David shook his head. "That's true too, but there's more. I should have been more open to his theory but what did I do? I sent him to work with Roy McGill, our conspiracy nut."

Colby leaned back in his chair and rolled his shoulders. "It worked, he found the information that he needed to locate Posner."

Sinclair rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I sent him there just to get him out of the office….I didn't really think that he was going to find anything credible." He took a swig of beer and after a quick glance at his friends faces added. "Even when Gene Evans and his wife were killed I still didn't want to believe that their deaths were connected to Charlie's case and based on circumstantial evidence we were ready to blame their murders on Mark Horn."

"All the evidence fit David." Nikki said, feeling a sudden need to defend their actions. "It looked like he had committed the murders."

"Thank God that Don didn't buy it and took charge of the case, otherwise….." David's voice trailed off as he looked at his watch.

"Otherwise Posner would be killing Charlie right now." Liz whispered softly. "Five-fifteen on the dot."

"Right." Colby agreed and looked around the table. "So I guess that is the real reason that we are all here…we're all feeling pretty guilty about what happened."

David smiled ruefully. "I guess so."

"Yeah… feeling pretty guilty here." Liz agreed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Nikki lifted her bottle and clicked it against Colby's and admitted. "Been feeling pretty low myself."

The foursome lapsed into an uncomfortable silence; the horror of what might have happened running through their minds. They sat quietly, lost in their own thoughts until another flock of the colorful and chatty parrots landed in the persimmon trees sparking a few comments and chuckles between the friends.

David checked his watch and his eyes widened with surprise. "Did you guys have dinner? It's six o'clock and I'm starting to feel a few hunger pains."

"Come to think of it, I am starting to get a little hungry." Colby agreed. "Do you want to order something here or go someplace else?"

"I'm good with here." Nikki shrugged, glancing around the table. "Do you have a menu?"

Liz leaned back in her chair and studied her friends. She was getting hungry too but she sensed that it was more important for them to resolve their feelings. Suddenly she straightened up as an idea began to form in her mind….maybe there was a way to do both.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

_Preconceptions_

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1_

_Chapter 6:_

_04:55 p.m – CalSci_

"Thanks Professor, I think I understand now." Perry Wenton said as he began to shove his notebooks back into his already bulging backpack.

"You're welcome Perry." Charlie answered distractedly as he eyed the backpack curiously, wondering what Perry could possibly have put in it that bulged out at so many odd angles. He narrowed his eyes to a particularly strange looking bump near the opening of the knapsack and blinked in surprise when he thought he saw it move. Curious, he opened his mouth to ask about it but Perry was already slinging the backpack over his shoulder as he hurried to the door. He turned, gave a quick "bye Professor" and was gone as the door slammed shut with a loud thump.

"Hmmmm" Charlie mused out loud. "I wonder if the Knapsack Algorithm would work for Perry." With an amused shake of his head, Charlie returned to the chalkboard and began to erase the equations that he and Perry had used. As he put down the eraser the events of the day swirled to the forefront of his thoughts and as a vision of Posner came to mind he glanced at his watch. He was surprised to see that it was only four fifty-five; Charlie had planned to spend more time with Perry but as it turned out the boy had only needed help on a small section of the algorithm.

He sat down in his chair and stared at the chalkboard but didn't really see it; instead he was mentally reviewing Posner's notes and re-living his encounter with the man. He couldn't help but wonder if their paths would have crossed if he had chosen not to consult for the FBI. With that in mind he returned to the chalkboard and began a series of risk assessments associated with his consulting jobs. He worked steadily and had just completed it when he heard a noise behind him.

As he turned to check it out, he automatically glanced at his watch and froze in mid turn; five-fifteen on any other day would have no special meaning to him but five-fifteen today had been the time that Posner had planned to kill him. He swallowed hard, telling himself that he was being silly; the man was in jail and couldn't hurt him.

Yet, as he watched the door knob on his office door slowly turn he broke out in a sweat and couldn't stop himself from thinking: "What if…?"

__

_It was a distant sound at first, an annoying, insistent ringing that penetrated through his sleep-filled mind to return him to consciousness. Don did his best to fight it but in the end gave up and stretched out his hand to grab his cell phone; without even opening his eyes, he flipped it open and placed it against his ear._

"_Eppes." He answered groggily as he rubbed his eyes with his other hand. _

"_Don, Posner's escaped! We just got the word from the detention center but we don't have all of the details yet. I sent Colby and Liz over to check it out." David's frantic voice bellowed over the airways."Charlie's with you ….right?"_

_Don's eyes flew open and he sat up so fast that the phone almost slipped from his fingers but as he tightened his grip he felt that uneasy feeling returning to his stomach. _

"_No! He had a meeting to attend at CalSci." Don responded in a voice laced with a tinge of panic. "David he should have been back by now!" Phone still to his ear, the agent slipped into his shoes, grabbed his gun and keys and raced out of the door._

"_Get security to his office now and get LAPD rolling! I'm on my way!" He ended the call and hit the speed dial as he pulled out of the driveway; lights flashing and siren blaring. Charlie's phone rang once, twice, three times and then went to voice mail leaving Don no other choice than to leave him a frantic warning about Posner's escape. His heart was pounding in his chest as he tore through the streets of Pasadena and made it to Calsci in record time. The agent brought the SUV to a squealing stop next to his brother's car and bolted from the vehicle, barely giving himself enough time to pull the keys from the ignition._

_Don was running as fast as he could but somewhere deep in his heart he knew that he was going to be too late. What had possessed him to let Charlie leave on his own like that? He should have jumped back in the car despite his brother's protest… should have followed his gut and insisted on going along with him. But he hadn't and now a little voice was telling him that it was too late. _

_He found it odd that he hadn't seen a single person as he ran through the hallway toward Charlie's office; it was as if the building was devoid of all life but he didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it. There was only one thing that dominated his mind at that moment and that was getting to his brother before the serial killer could find him._

_Don felt a sharp pain in his side and doubled over when he was within ten feet of Charlie's office door. While he leaned against the wall, panting to catch his breath and to give the pain a chance to subside, he tried desperately to see through the glass panes in the door but the room was dark and unyielding. Pushing away from the wall Don started calling out his brother's name again as he ran toward the door but there was no answering call……only silence. Almost to the point of tears, he gasped in relief when his hand finally found the door knob and with an adrenaline rush fueled by fear he yanked the door open and rushed inside._

"_Charlie!" The agent called out anxiously and was surprised to find his gun in his hand as he moved forward; funny, he didn't remember taking it from his holster. He searched the room, checking behind several chalkboards that were sandwiched in between stacks of boxes. This was the first time that Don had been in Charlie's new office; he'd gotten stabbed just as his brother was moving in but his Dad had told him that Charlie still had to unpack everything. The Professor's desk was near the back of the room so he made his way cautiously in its direction. His eyes lit briefly on the desk, scanning the stack of folders and the odd little gadgets that his brother liked to collect; some of them looked like toys but Charlie insisted that all of them had a scientific purpose._

_Everything looked normal but Don sensed that he wasn't alone and stepped quietly around more boxes until he was able to see behind the desk. As he rounded the corner his worst fears were realized and it felt like his heart had just been ripped from his chest. Don couldn't move, it was as if time suddenly stood still while he tried to comprehend the terrifying sight before him. This couldn't be happening, he told himself, it had to be some kind of illusion because he wouldn't accept the fact that Posner was really there kneeling next to his brother's body. _

_Charlie lay on the floor with a clear plastic bag over his head, unmoving, eyes wide open and staring. Posner was beside of him, inhaling a white vaporous substance that appeared to be surrounding Charlie's body; the rapturous look on the killer's face turned his stomach and he had to look away and cover his mouth to control his gagging response. Finally getting it under control, Don tried to move forward but couldn't seem to get his muscles and limbs to cooperate; the mind-numbing shock of the scene in front of him was so overwhelming that he just shut down and all he could do was watch as the killer appeared to absorb his brother's life force._

_Posner waved his hand slightly, directing the vapor toward him and took a deep breath; a sound of extreme pleasure escaped his lips. His head swiveled around and he acknowledged Don for the first time; his eyes bright and face feverish in his euphoric state._

"_I knew it would feel exhilarating but I had no idea that I would feel so much ecstasy when I killed him." Poser sighed contentedly and started to rise just as Don was able to move once again._

"_Nooooo! Charlie nooooo!" He cried, running forward; he pointed the gun at Posner without even realizing it and kept firing until only clicking noises resounded around the room. "Die you bastard….die!" he shouted as the man stumbled back against the desk and then dropped with a loud thump to the floor._

_The agent gazed at the dead man for a brief second and then his eyes drifted to the prone body of his brother. Don's head and shoulders drooped in defeat and the gun dropped from his nerveless fingers, hitting the floor with a loud clatter. He fell to his knees and crawled to Charlie's side, pulling him into his arms. Don ripped the plastic from his face, hoping against hope that it wasn't too late…that there was still a chance to save his life...it couldn't end like this...he wouldn't let it._

"_It's not too late…..it's not too late." Don whispered frantically as he pushed a few curls aside to get a better look at his brother's face……..but hope faded instantly at the sight of Charlie's blue tinged lips and his ghostly white skin; his dark brown eyes that had once held so much warmth and passion now just stared blankly back at him. _

"_Oh God! Oh, Charlie, no!" Don sobbed as a wave of grief washed over him. He wrapped his arms tightly around Charlie and rocked back and forth. With his head leaning against Charlie's dark curls he whispered "I'm sorry…..I'm so sorry" over and over again._

_It was the sound of the laughter that finally broke through his distress, a peal of laughter so maniacal that it sent a chill running down his spine. He raised his head and through tear filled eyes he watched in horror as Robert Posner pulled himself up to a sitting position. His blue eyes turned red as his lips spread into a 'Cheshire cat like" grin. _

"_Poor little Donnie has lost his brother." He hissed viciously; his blood red eyes flickering coldly over the agent. "Your loss is my gain, Donnie-boy."_

_Horror struck, Don shook his head in denial; swallowing several times before he could get enough saliva in his mouth to speak. "You're….you're dead…..I…I killed you." His eyes followed Posner as he rose and moved around the room; blood trailing from the multiple bullet holes in his body and then it felt like his heart stopped when the man's body began to morph into something else._

"_Haven't you heard Don? " Posner rasped arrogantly, "You can't kill the devil."_

"_No….noooo!" Don's blood ran cold and he screamed in horror as the red horned and long tailed apparition began to cackle maniacally and caper wildly about the room._

__

Don screamed and opened his eyes; sweat-soaked and trembling from his nightmare. He sat up and scrubbed a hand through his damp hair as he came fully awake.

"Man, what a nightmare." He muttered; the dream still vivid in his mind. Exultant cheers suddenly emanated from the TV and he glanced over just as an instant replay trailed across the screen. The L.A. pitcher had just given up a three run homer and the opposing team's fans were going wild.

"Oh...man." he grumbled aloud. "Weaver better strike the rest of those guys out or the Dodgers can forget about this game."

Still reeling from the dream, Don switched off the TV and rose to his feet as silence settled over the Craftsman. He glanced at his watch and was surprised to discover that it was five-fifty; he must have fallen asleep as soon as he hit the couch. Even though it had been a short nap he still felt better and was relieved to find that the throbbing in his side had almost faded away; there were times when he really could appreciate the bureau's insistence of "light duty" and this was definitely one of those times. He stopped in mid-stride and glanced at his watch again; Charlie should have been home by now and with that realization the memory of the dream and his feeling of uneasiness returned.

He crossed over to the window and pulled aside the curtain but Charlie's car was nowhere in sight. "It was just a dream." He muttered to himself as he grabbed his cell phone from a nearby table but before he could hit the speed dial button he heard a car pull into the driveway.

He glanced out of the living room window again and sighed with relief as Charlie got out of his car but his forehead wrinkled in puzzlement when his brother didn't head for the front door but turned and disappeared around the side of the house. Don hurried to the kitchen; pausing long enough to grab two bottles of water from the fridge before heading out the back door to find Charlie. A few seconds later his face split into a relieved grin when he spied his brother sitting on a rock near the pond.

"Hey." He said quietly as he closed the distance to the pond and held out one of the bottles to the mathematician.

"Thanks." Charlie said; taking the water bottle from him. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, it's amazing what a little nap will do for you." Don said as he sat down on a bench across from his brother.

"Not to mention the meds." Charlie retorted with a snicker as he sprinkled fish food over the surface of the pond.

Don chuckled. "I can't say that I don't appreciate them but I didn't take any this time."

Both brothers suddenly leaned backwards as a spurt of water splashed upwards; the large fish were fighting for the spot directly beneath Charlie's hand.

Don leaned forward and gazed into the water. "For an old fish Tombrello manages to get his fair share." He said, pointing to a particularly large orange Koi that was pushing the other fish out of the way. "I thought you said he likes to stay on the bottom."

"Not when food is an issue." Charlie chuckled.

"When was the last time you fed these guys?"

Charlie rolled his eyes at the question. "The last time I fed them was this morning but you've got them spoiled and now they expect to be fed twice a day."

"Oops!" Don said with a grin.

Smiling, Charlie glanced sideways at him but the smile slipped from his face as he stared at his brother. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" He stretched out his hand as if to feel Don's forehead. "You look a little pale and you're sweating."

"I'm fine Charlie." Don replied, gently pushing his brother's hand away. "I just woke up from a bad dream….that's all."

Charlie gazed at him for a moment then pulled his hand back. "Bad dream huh? You…ah…want to talk about it?"

Don laughed. "What are you going to do……come up with some kind of equation to analyze my dream?"

Feeling thoroughly rebuffed, Charlie ducked his head so that Don couldn't see the hurt reflected in his eyes. "No….I…I just thought it might help to talk about it……forget I even said anything."

"Hey, I'm sorry…. that came out all wrong." Don replied quickly, suddenly realizing how harsh his words must have sounded. "It's just that it seemed so real and yet it was like I was watching some kind of horror movie…only I was taking part in it too."

"Scientists have proven that some of our dreams revolve around things that we saw or experienced during the course of a day so maybe your nightmare was related to today's events." Charlie said softly without looking up. "You seem pretty shook up about it so if you talk it through you just might realize where it came from and be able to put it behind you."

Don took a sip of his water and thoughtfully studied his brother as he continued to feed the fish and it suddenly occurred to him that despite his encounter with the serial killer and their discovery of the man's intentions, Charlie didn't appear distressed about it, as a matter of fact, he appeared to have come to terms with it and had moved on.

"The dream took place in your office." He said, surprising himself with the admission.

Charlie looked up in surprise and Don wasn't sure if it was because of what he had said or because he had started talking about it.

His brother's eyebrows drew together in puzzlement. "My office." He repeated quietly and then almost immediately added. "Let me guess, it took place at exactly five-fifteen."

"Yeah." Don acknowledged thickly.

Charlie shrugged. "Well that's no mystery, we both know where that came from and since the man is behind bars and I am here, we don't have to worry about it anymore."

"There's more to it Charlie." Don said darkly.

"Oh." He said, slightly taken aback. "Okay, tell me the rest of it."

"Ah….well, you see, I got there too late." He looked away, unable to tell Charlie the rest of it while he was looking at him. "Posner was sitting beside of you and doing something else to you."

Charlie's eyebrows had disappeared beneath his curls. "Ooh….yuk." he said with a grimace. "You don't mean he…was…you know?"

Don looked back in surprise, his eyes going wide. "No…no..not that. There was a white vapor coming from your body; he was inhaling it."

Charlie scratched his temple. "Ah….well I guess that's not as bad as the other thing. What happened next?"

"I shot and killed him but then he came back to life and turned into the devil." Don said; feeling more than a little embarrassed to hear the words spoken out loud.

"The devil?" Charlie asked; scratching his chin. "That's interesting…let's see now." He looked up suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement. "Hey Don, didn't Liz call Posner a monster today when we were all in the observation room?"

"I believe that she did, why?"

"Well, the word 'monster' is synonymous with the word 'devil' so subconsciously you probably remembered that she had called him a monster and that is why he turned into the devil in your dream." A small smile played across his lips. "How does that sound?"

Don relaxed a little and returned his grin. "Not bad Sigmund but what about the white vapor stuff?"

Charlie tilted his head momentarily as he gave the matter some thought but in the end he just shook his head. "Sorry bro, you're on your own with that one. What do you think it means?"

Don hunched his shoulders and leaned over; elbows resting on his knees. "It seemed to me that the white vapor represented your life force and that by killing you, he was able to absorb it."

"Your theory sounds logical enough but where do you suppose the white vapor stuff idea came from?"

Don scrubbed a hand through his hair and shook his head. "I don't know….must have seen it in a movie or something." His eyes widened suddenly and he laughed. "I did see it in a movie, a few weeks ago Robin and I were babysitting her niece and……"

"You were babysitting?" Charlie interrupted; his eyes wide with surprise.

Don rolled his eyes and began again. "Yes I was babysitting. Anyway, as I was trying to say, the movie we were watching was about three witches that sucked the life force from little children so that they could stay young. "

"This was a child's movie?" Charlie asked in disbelief. "How could you let a child watch that kind of movie?"

"Quiet. I'm not finished yet." Don ordered, ignoring his question. "The witches would make the children drink a special brew and a few minutes later the child's "aura" or "life force" would appear as a white vapor surrounding them and then they would breathe in the white vapor." Don grinned broadly and gave his brother a 'high five'. "That's it Charlie, you were right, I do feel a lot better now."

"I'm glad that I could help." Charlie replied, pleased with Don's response. "Are you sure that was a child's movie?" He added; unable to accept that fact as the truth.

"Yep, a Disney movie." Don said, laughing at his brother's expression. "The movie wasn't as scary as it sounds." He did feel better, he realized, and the nightmare was beginning to fade away.

A companionable silence fell between them and they relaxed, letting the warm California sunshine wash over them; wanting nothing more than to be together at that moment in time. It brought back warm memories from their childhood when they would spend lazy summer afternoons just sitting by the pond, quietly watching the antics of the Koi.

Don glanced at his watch and a thought occurred to him. "Hey, you said that you would be back before five-thirty, what took you so long anyway? Did you have to spend more time tutoring your student?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "No, actually Perry did very well and he left a little earlier than planned. He has a better understanding of Game Theory now and should be able to pass his upcoming finals next week without any problem." He started to say something else but instead closed his mouth and dropped his gaze to the fish floating in the pond.

Don knew his little brother better than anyone and he could tell that something else was on his mind so he decided to push a little harder.

"So why were you late?" He asked; his brow creased with worry when his brother didn't answer right away and he began to think that maybe Charlie wasn't dealing as well with the situation as he had first thought.

"We need to talk Charlie" he pressed on." You need to talk about what happened. I know what it's like, I've been there; it'll tear you up inside if you don't get it out."

Charlie tossed a handful of food into the water before answering. "I was late for two reasons. I knew that I had to be alone in my office at precisely five-fifteen to prove to myself that I wasn't afraid." He ran his hand through his hair and met his brother's eye. "Please understand Don….this was something that I had to do on my own if I was going to put today's events behind me and be able to go to my office every day without being afraid."

Don nodded. "I guess I can understand that. What was the second reason?"

Charlie's eyes flickered away and then back again before answering his question and when he spoke his voice was tinged with sadness. "I wanted to perform a risk/reward assessment on my consulting work."

"Yeah. How'd that go?" Don asked with trepidation.

That was one analysis that the agent didn't need to ask about; he knew it all too well and he felt his heart flutter as he waited for his brother to answer. Don didn't know a single agent that wouldn't have been upset at finding themselves in Charlie's position and then, on top of that, finding out the methodical way that he was going to be killed would have put anyone of them over the edge. But Charlie wasn't an agent so Don could only imagine how much more terrifying it must have been for him to make that discovery. He really couldn't blame Charlie if he had decided that consulting for him had become far too dangerous and as he waited for him to answer it felt like his heart was going to break.

His brother dusted the fish food from his hands and leaned forward; hands clasped together and elbows resting on his knees. Charlie slowly raised his head and somberly gazed at his brother.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Preconceptions

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews. I truly appreciate them.

Chapter 7:

Don returned Charlie's solemn gaze and felt as if he was about to lose his best friend. He had never really told his brother how much he enjoyed working with him; he'd just taken it for granted that he knew it….now it was too late. Don hardened his heart, refusing to use that knowledge to get Charlie to change his mind and waited for his brother to give him an answer.

"It didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know." Charlie said softly. "As long as I continue to consult for the FBI or other law enforcement agencies the odds that I will be injured, killed or run into someone else like Posner again increases exponentially."

Don swallowed hard and glanced away; his heart sinking with every word his brother had uttered. He should be happy; he had lost track of how many times that he had wanted Charlie to stop consulting for them because of the danger involved and yet, now that it was happening, he realized how much he was going to miss working with him. Still, he tried to be strong for Charlie's sake and forced himself to smile when he turned back to face him.

"So, you're going to give it up." He said; his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Finally move on to something better."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up in surprise and disappeared beneath his curls. "I didn't say that I was going to give up consulting."

Don titled his head to the side, clearly puzzled by his brother's surprising statement. "But you just said…."

"I told you what the result of the risk analysis was but I didn't say that I was going to quit." Charlie interrupted, his brown eyes lighting up mischievously. "Besides, the results of the reward analysis were much higher."

"How so?"

Charlie's eyes drifted downward to the pond and he followed the movements of the fish as he spoke.

"I thought about all of the people that Posner had killed and how many more lives that he would have destroyed if he hadn't been caught and that alone was enough to make the risk worthwhile. Then when I factored in all of the other cases where we were able to prevent terrorist attacks and save lives…well, let's just say that the graph went off the chart."

"Really?" Don asked quietly; feeling as if his heart had suddenly sprouted wings and was threatening to take flight.

Charlie lifted his head and gazed at him; moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes as he said softly. "Don, what really put it over the top was something that I didn't even have to figure into my analysis. The simple fact is that I like working with you and it doesn't matter how many Posners that we may encounter along the way because that fact is a constant…it isn't going to change. "

"I like working with you too buddy but are you sure that this is what you really want?" Don asked in a voice thick with emotion. "Working for the FBI brings you into contact with the worst of humanity, and I have to tell you that Posner is as bad as they come; that man gave me chills today." His eyes flickered to the side and then back again. "I never wanted this life for you Charlie; I never meant to bring you into contact with people like him."

"I know that Don and it's not your fault." He shook his head and the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. "You really have to stop blaming yourself when something like this happens. I think you tend to forget that I also consult for other law enforcement agencies, not just the FBI, and something like this could happen while I'm consulting for one of them."

"I realize that Charlie, it's just that sometimes I feel you should be doing something more…..something greater."

Charlie could never hide his feelings from Don and as he looked into his brother's's expressive eyes his heart spread its wings.

"I don't know what the future is going to bring….that whole "destiny" thing may come into play someday and take me "who knows where?" Charlie said thickly. "But for now, my life is right where I want it to be…..working side by side with my brother."

Don smiled broadly; his eyes crinkling at the corners as his heart truly took flight this time. "Mine too buddy, mine too."

_3333333333333333333333333333  
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Alan shifted the grocery bag to his other arm as he opened the door and stepped across the threshold. He was surprised to find the house so quiet since both of his son's cars were parked out front. Don had ridden in with his younger brother that morning so seeing Charlie's car there he had fully expected to find Don on the couch watching a sports game; Charlie, no doubt, would be in the garage working on an equation.

"Don, Charlie." He called out but only silence greeted him. Maybe they were both in the garage, he thought, as he made his way to the foyer and set his bag down. Sighing wearily he shrugged out of his jacket but before he had a chance to hang it up he was startled by a loud rapping noise on the front door.

"I'm coming." He yelled, and tossed his jacket on the table top. He strode rapidly toward the door and yanked it open just as David Sinclair was preparing to knock again.

"David." He said, and nodded to the rest of Don's team standing behind the agent, all of them loaded with bags of take out food and several six-packs of beer.

"I'm sorry Alan….ah...I know we probably should have called first but we were in Altadena….and uh…we thought we would just drop by…..and…ah…."

"Decided to bring dinner?" Alan asked, looking pointedly at the multiple 'El Pollo Guapo' bags they were carrying.

"Unless you guys have other plans Alan. "Colby said, leaning around his partner with an apologetic grin on his face as he came to David's rescue.

"Just say the word and were out of here." Liz called from the back of the group.

"Nonsense." Alan replied with a grin." I'm happy anytime that I don't have to cook but I'm not sure if the boys have any plans." He stepped aside and waved them in. "Come on in and we'll find out."

"Where are Don and Charlie?" Liz asked as she closed the door.

Alan picked up his grocery bag and headed for the kitchen with the foursome trailing behind him. "I don't know. I just got in myself but I suspect that they are either in the garage or out back." He quickly emptied his grocery back and grabbed a stack of paper plates and napkins. "Let's go outside and enjoy your gracious meal. I have a sneaky suspicion that we will find my sons soaking up the warm sunshine."

Sure enough, when they rounded the corner of the house, Don and Charlie looked up in surprise as the small group laughingly greeted them and began setting the food on the picnic table.

"Don, Charlie, look what I just found on our front doorstep." Alan called out with a wave of his hand. He felt a little awkward because he got the sense that his sons were not expecting company.

Charlie arched a questioning eyebrow at his brother.

"Hey, don't look at me; I didn't know they were coming." Don mumbled as the brothers rose to their feet and strolled over to join their friends.

"What's up guys?" Don asked, as he accepted a beer from Colby and slid into his seat.

"Wait." Alan said, grabbing his forearm. "Should you be having any alcohol?"

"Relax Dad." Don said with a grin. "I only have to take the medication if I really need it and today I haven't taken any at all so I can enjoy this beer."

"Okay, if you say so." Alan said with a harrumph and took a sip of his own beer.

"I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth guys, but what's the occasion?" Don asked as he accepted a container of fries from Liz.

Don's team exchanged furtive glances and an uncomfortable silence descended over the small group.

"I know we should have called first…..but we were in the neighborhood and thought we would just surprise you." Liz apologized as a blush rose in her cheeks.

Nikki shifted uncomfortably and tried to explain further. "Yeah…ah...we're here to celebrate the end of the case."

"You caught the guy!" Alan exclaimed and held his bottle of beer up in a toast. "Now that is a cause for celebration."

The four agents eagerly joined Alan's toast and seized on the opportunity to change the subject by passing around the rest of the chicken and fries.

Charlie quietly accepted his meal and popped a fry into his mouth. "Hmmm, these are good….not soggy yet. "

"We just picked them up Charlie." Colby remarked; digging into his own meal with gusto.

"I didn't realize how hungry I was." Don said around a mouthful of chicken. "Thanks guys."

Charlie swallowed a piece of chicken and washed it down with a sip of beer before adding his thanks as well.

They devoured the meal rather quickly and sat around making small talk; the warm sunshine and relaxing atmosphere seemed to push away the chilling experience they had shared earlier in the day. As the laughter and good natured banter flowed around the close knit group, they became more at ease and for a while they actually managed to forget about Posner. It was as if there was an unspoken agreement by all of them to keep the conversation purposely away from the case; Alan was the exception, of course, he was still unaware of the day's events.

A series of high-pitched rings suddenly resonated around the small backyard and with an apologetic glance at his friends; Charlie quickly snagged his cell phone from his pocket and glanced at the caller's I.D. "Sorry guys, I've got to take this call."

"Did you find it?" He asked anxiously, rubbing his temple nervously as he listened to what turned out to be a rather lengthy explanation until the caller said the one thing that he didn't want to hear.

"What do mean that you haven't found it yet?" Charlie exclaimed; phone glued tightly to his ear. "How hard can it be to find something with a leg span of 15 to 18 cm?" His voice took on a tone of urgency as he tossed his napkin down and stood up; pacing the length of the table and then back again as he listened to the caller.

Although the group tried not to listen to the one-side conversation, the Professor's questions and his growing apprehension drew their attention and curiosity.

Alan nudged Don's arm and whispered. "What's he talking about?"

"Don't look at me pal." Don replied softly, keeping a close eye on Charlie's proximity. "You know as much as I do."

In a barely audible voice, David leaned forward and asked."What do you think he's looking for?"

Don raised his hands in an 'I don't know' gesture and mumbled. "No idea."

Colby turned a questioning gaze to Charlie and then back to the group. "Did he say 15 to 18cm?"

"Yeah, that's what he said." Nikki confirmed and added. "Why?"

"That's 6 to 7 inches, right?" Colby asked; his eyes drifting from face to face.

"That's right." Alan mumbled in agreement.

Colby glanced sideways at Charlie before leaning forward and lowering his voice. "What would have a 6 to 7 inch leg span?"

Hunched shoulders and blank stares were the only answers forthcoming as all heads swiveled around to follow Charlie's conversation and movements.

The young professor was becoming quite animated with one arm gesturing wildly as he talked. "I don't care how many boxes there are Mr. Wenton, you're 'pet' is there somewhere….find it!" He paused in mid-step as he listened to the caller's response and suddenly shook his head vigorously; curls flying in all directions.

"No!" Charlie exclaimed emphatically. "That is not acceptable, do you understand? I want that…" he glanced at the picnic table and confirmed his suspicions that everyone was listening to his call and quickly changed his next word, "_Brachypelma_ _smithi_ out of my office tonight and I further suggest that you leave your pet in your room from now on instead of carrying it around in your backpack."

"Braci…pima something…what did he say?" Colby asked; his forehead wrinkling in confusion.

"No, it sounded more like this." Liz said trying to sound it out. "braa-kee-pel-muh smithi."

"What the hell is a _Braa-kee-pel-muh _thingy anyway_?"_ David mumbled.

Don eyed his brother as he took a sip of beer. "It's the scientific name for something that Charlie is trying to keep hidden from us. Apparently he doesn't want us to know what he is talking about." He rubbed his chin and turned to his father. "I've heard that name before, haven't you?"

"Not me." Alan replied, gazing at his youngest. "But whatever it is, your brother sure doesn't want it in his office."

"Pet?" Nikki whispered in surprise. "What kind of pet can you carry in your backpack?"

"Doesn't sound like a puppy dog to me." Colby snickered; prompting hushed giggles and hands suddenly covering mouths when Charlie turned around and a high-pitched whine could be heard emanating from his phone.

"There is only one solution Mr. Wenton and you already know what that is. Need I remind you of the consequences if you fail?" Charlie smirked at the response. "Good…now get to it!"

He pushed the end button and jammed the phone back in his jeans pocket before returning to his place at the table. Charlie took a long drink of his beer and as he set the bottle down he noticed that everyone was staring at him with open curiosity.

"What?" He asked, suddenly on the defensive.

Alan pushed his glasses back in place and glared at his youngest son. "You can't leave us like this…..what did your student put in your office?"

"You know Dad; someone once told me that it was impolite to listen to another person's conversation." He replied, pointedly looking at his father and deliberately took another sip of beer. Charlie didn't want to admit to his friends, and especially his brother, that his student's pet made him very uncomfortable.

"Come on Charlie." Liz implored. "We're dying to know…you've got to tell us."

Colby leaned back and crossed his arms; a smug look crossing his features. "All we have to do is look it up Charlie. Where's your laptop anyway?"

"Off limits." Charlie retorted.

"Well, mine isn't." Alan huffed and started to push away from the table.

Don patted his father on the shoulder. "Hold up Dad, you don't have to go anywhere, I already know what it is."

Wide eyed, Charlie twisted around to stare at his brother. "How would you know what it is?"

"Come on Chuck." Don answered, grinning. "You of all people should know the answer to that question?"

Charlie eyes narrowed as he studied his brother and then he replied with a groan. "Albuquerque."

Don nodded his head; his grin broadening. "That's right Chuck, Albuquerque."

"Don't call me Chuck." Charlie grumbled good-naturedly; knowing defeat was at hand he waved his beer bottle at him dismissively. "Go ahead, tell them."

Alan looked impatiently from son to son. "Well….would one of you care to share?"

"Yeah, come on boss, spill the beans." Nikki said. "I'm dying of curiosity here."

Don savored the moment before answering; it wasn't that often that he got the opportunity to upstage his brother. "_Brachypelma smithi_ is the scientific name for the tarantula or more specifically the Mexican redknee tarantula." He grinned at their reactions and paused to take a sip of his beer. "I learned all about them when I lived in New Mexico." He patted his brother on the arm. "Relax Chuck, although they do get quite large they are very docile and are not poisonous to humans."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Charlie muttered dryly.

"Eeew!" Liz said disgustedly and commiserated with Charlie. "I wouldn't want that thing in my office either."

Nikki grimaced. "Why did your student have it in his backpack anyway?" She shivered. "Gives me chills just to think about it?"

Charlie leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs before answering. "Perry said he had just bought it from another student and didn't have time to take it back to his dorm before our meeting."

"It didn't occur to him that it might crawl out of his bag?" David asked in disbelief

"Apparently it was in a container with air holes but he must have jostled the lid open." The young professor chuckled. "What is amazing is that he didn't squish the thing." He went on to explain how full the backpack had been and suddenly took on a distant look. "Actually, I was thinking of suggesting that the "knapsack problem" might help him resolve that issue." Noticing the questioning looks on his friend's faces he started to explain it to them. "That's a problem that we use…"

"Charlie." Don deadpanned, attempting to halt his brother before he went into lecture mode but it was too late, Charlie was already in the zone and didn't hear him.

"in combinatorial optimization: Given a set of items, each with a weight and a value, determine the number of each item to include in a collection so that the total weight is less than a given limit and the total value is as large as possible. It derives its name from the problem faced by someone who is constrained by a fixed-sized knapsack and must fill it with the most useful items."

"Charlie!" Don tried again when his brother paused to catch his breath.

The young professor looked around in surprise and grinned sheepishly at the blank stares around him. "Oh…..sorry. I guess I got carried away."

"No problem." David said with a smile.

Don nudged his brother with his beer bottle. "I don't understand why you didn't want us to know about the spider?"

"So….the professor's afraid of spiders." Colby mused out loud. "Now that is some information to file away for another time."

Charlie sighed heavily and turned around to face his brother. "That's why."

Don mouthed the word "oh" and looked away before Charlie could see the smile that he shared with his Dad.

"Now I understand too Charlie." David chuckled with a sideways glance at his partner. "That type of knowledge is a dangerous thing in Colby's hands."

"David, how could you say that about me?" Colby said putting his hand over his heart. He tried to look innocent but the smirk on his face gave him away and they all burst into laughter.

"I'm sure your student will find it Charlie." Alan said as the noise subsided. "Besides, Don said that it wasn't poisonous."

Charlie leaned around his brother to catch Alan's eye."I don't believe that you just said that. Aren't you the one that is constantly complaining about spider webs?" He waved his hand at him and added. "I quite clearly recall when you once told me, and this is a direct quote. You said "I'm just an angry renter waiting for my landlord to call the spider people."

"Well, that's because they were in the house, I don't mind them as long as they are outside." Alan replied defensively.

"Precisely my point. " Charlie retorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh…..point taken." Alan agreed, slightly embarrassed, as more laughter erupted around the table.

Charlie's phone rang again and everyone watched as the young man's anxious expression was replaced by one of relief.

"That s good news Perry. Make sure that you lock the door when you leave. Bye." He ran his fingers through his curls and exhaled a big sigh of relief. "You'll never guess where he found it?" Charlie said, looking around. "It had crawled beneath a pile of papers on my desk."

"Now there's an image." Don chortled. "Can't you just imagine Chuck's face tomorrow morning when he picked up that piece of paper and saw what was beneath it?"

"Funny Donald….funny." Charlie said dryly. "I'm just glad that he found it."

Amid more laughter Don entertained them with a few stories about some of his experiences while he lived in New Mexico; several of them involving "close-encounters" with the large spiders.

Alan leaned back and surveyed the small group around the table; something was different, there was an underlying current of uneasiness and a sense of melancholy about them …..he could feel it beneath the laughter and bantering. Puzzled, he studied the faces of Don's team and thought that he detected a sense of guilt and doubt in their eyes. More than once he had caught each one them casting furtive glances in Charlie's direction. One thing that had always impressed him about Don's team was the confidence they had in their abilities but he had the distinct feeling that something had happened to change that.

Alan eyes drifted to his sons faces and he studied them over the rim of his glasses; they both appeared to be relaxed and at ease but he saw a tightness around their eyes and a slight stiffness to their movements. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully; clearly something bad had happened…. something that they had both experienced and were still trying to deal with.

The elder man shifted his gaze back to the other four agents, noting the slump of their shoulders, the way they were constantly glancing downward and despite the laughter there was a tinge of sadness in their voices. It was obvious to him that the disturbing event his sons had experienced had also been shared by Don's team; having grown close to David, Colby, Liz and Nikki he found it distressing to see them this way. It wasn't Alan's way to pussyfoot around things, so he scratched his beard thoughtfully for a few more minutes while he observed them and then "jumped in" with both feet.

"One thing I learned from being a City Planner was how to tell when someone had something on their mind."

Six heads swiveled in his direction and waited for him to continue.

Alan cleared his throat. "You four," he said, pointing to Don's team, "didn't come here just to have dinner. You came here because there's something eating at you that you need to get off your chests." He blushed and looked at the girls. "Ah…..no offense ladies."

"None taken Alan." Liz and Nikki said simultaneously; both grinning from ear to ear.

Don opened his mouth to admonish his Dad but the guilty looks on his team's faces made him decide to wait and see what developed.

The four agents exchanged looks and then David licked his lips and looked away; running his hand nervously over his bald head before turning back to face Alan.

"That's ah…very astute of you Alan….and you're right, we did have another reason for coming here this evening." His head swiveled toward Charlie. "I …ah...let you down Charlie and I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too Charlie. " Colby admitted softly. "I should have been more open- minded when you first mentioned the pattern that you had found."

Liz tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and added sadly. "I should have believed you when I doubted you and I'm sorry for that."

"Might as well make that a foursome." Nikki added with a loud sigh. "I'm sorry too."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up in surprise just as Don and Alan turned to him for an explanation but all he could do was shake his head and shrug his shoulders; he didn't know what was going on either.

"Ah….uhmm. You guys are going to have to help me out here." He said, facing the four agents. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

David glanced at his friends and shifted uncomfortably in his chair before meeting Charlie's eye. "We've worked together for five years now and I should have taken you more seriously when you first told me about your serial killer theory." He glanced away and shook his head. "I couldn't see any pattern in what you showed me so I assumed that you were just overreacting to Don's injury like you did that time with the bank robbery."

"No offense Charlie, but at the time it just seemed to make more sense to us that you were overacting than to believe that you had found a serial killer." Colby explained.

"It's alright, I understand Colby." Charlie said earnestly. "The killer's different m.o's made the deaths look unrelated so I know it was hard to believe at first."

"The truth is Charlie; I should have trusted your analysis." David's eyes shifted to Don. "I made the wrong call Don and if you hadn't intervened when you did, then the consequences would have been devastating."

Don shifted around in his chair; his eyes flickering momentarily toward his brother. David was right, his mistake in this case would have been unbearable had the outcome been any different and Don wasn't sure that he could be so forgiving if things had worked out differently. But luck had been on their side this time so he could afford to let a few things slide.

"You can't second guess your decision David, that's one of the hardest things to learn when you are in command. You will make mistakes, like this one, but you will also learn from them." He glanced at Charlie and smiled. "One thing that I learned when I started working with my brother is that I had to change my way of looking at things and start thinking "out of the box" like he does."

David swallowed hard and looked away before meeting Don's eye again. "Yeah." He agreed. "I sort of learned that one the hard way."

"You have to admit Charlie that finding a serial killer by using the same method that SETI uses to look for life on other planets would look a little strange to us?" Nikki asked, trying to explain their point of view at the time.

"As I told David and Colby, it's not as out there as it sounds." Charlie retorted, feeling a need to defend his work. "We've had this discussion before, don't you remember?" Seeing the blank stares he went into more detail. "It's the figure ground effect on perceptual organization…..remember? How we look at things is determined by our predisposition. Our perception is influenced by our thinking."

"Right." David's eyes widened as the memory of the case that Charlie was referring to returned. "I remembered how you reacted five years ago when Don was hurt and assumed that you were behaving the same way again."

"Right." Charlie agreed as he scanned the faces of his friends gathered around the table. "Your prior knowledge of those events affected your perception in this case."

Liz leaned forward and squeezed his hand, regret lighting up her own eyes. "I'm so sorry Charlie; I assumed that your behavior was due to stress related to Don's injury. I thought you were showing signs of posttraumatic stress disorder. One of the symptoms is hyper vigilance; that's when a person is constantly looking for signs of danger but no one else can see it."

"We just couldn't see the pattern Charlie." Nikki added softly. "It looked to us like you were seeing something that wasn't really there."

"You made a classic logic error guys." Charlie said with a shrug of his shoulders. "You made the evidence fit your theory, not the other way around."

"I suppose we did Charlie but I know that I've learned my lesson." David said his voice full of regret. "I feel sick when I think of what might have happened if Don hadn't taken charge of the case."

"I'll admit that it was a scary situation but it all worked out in the end so let's not dwell on it …okay?"

"Thanks Charlie." David said softly and for the first time that day, he actually started to relax. "I'll need your notes on the case so that we can put all of the evidence together for the D.A."

"I have classes in the morning and a seminar in the afternoon, but I can drop my files off around six. Will that be okay?" Charlie asked as he took another sip of beer.

David swallowed a drink himself before answering. "That'll work out just fine Charlie."

A thought occurred to Charlie and he twisted around to face his brother. "I didn't tell you but exactly at five fifteen today my office door opened unexpectedly and I immediately thought of Posner." He laughed nervously. "I felt pretty silly when my visitor turned out to be Perry, returning to tell me about his missing spider."

"I don't think you should feel silly Charlie." Don said his voice thick with emotion. "I think it was a perfectly natural reaction considering the circumstances involved."

Charlie felt a wave of gratitude wash over him and he ducked his head, looking away for a moment before turning back to meet his brother's gaze. His warm, brown eyes were glistening with unshed tears as he smiled at Don.

"Thanks." He said quietly.

Don just nodded and returned his smile; his eyes reflecting the same emotions as his brothers.

Alan had been silent during their conversation; quietly observing them as they talked and he sensed that something horrendous had barely been averted, something that directly involved his sons, and now he wanted answers.

"I'm confused." The elder Eppes said; his eyes flitting from face to face. "There have been other cases where you were skeptical of Charlie's theories….. what makes this one so different?"

"I'm surprised to hear you say that Alan, especially since Charlie was Posner's next target." Nikki exclaimed in surprise.

Alarmed, Alan turned to Don firing questions so rapidly that his son didn't have a chance to answer.

"What? He was going after Charlie? How did he find out about Charlie? "He paused to catch a breath. "You did say that he was in jail, right?"

"You didn't tell him?" Nikki gasped in horror and winced when she saw the stony look in Don's eyes.

"We didn't have a chance." Don said, arching an eyebrow and speaking softly …..too softly.

"Listen boss….I...ah." She swallowed hard and broke eye contact with him. "Oh boy!"

"Oops! You're in trouble now girlfriend." Colby chuckled loudly.

"Shut up Idaho." Nikki mumbled irritably as she reached for her beer.

Alan crossed his arms and scowled at both sons. "Exactly when were you two going to share this little detail with me?"

"Ah….never." Charlie muttered under his breath as he rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Oh…man." Don groaned and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

_Finis_

**A/N: The next scene goes back to the original episode where Charlie, David, Liz, Colby, and Nikki are in one of the conference rooms. They are putting all of their notes and evidence into boxes while discussing how evil Posner is and how Charlie's logic put the man behind bars.**

**Originally, I had intended for this to be the end of the story, but during the course of writing it, new plotlines have developed so I am working on a sequel. It is tentatively titled "Preconceptions II – Extreme Consequences."**

**Like many other authors on this site, I have decided to continue to write stories for "NUMB3RS." Even though CBS has cancelled the show our favorite characters will live on in "our fanfiction realm."**


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